Artists from all times have depicted same subjects in their own perspectives. Donatello and Michelangelo, two renowned artists from their times, also partook in the same tradition and gave the world two excellent pieces of art to marvel on. The sculpture of David, depicting his fight with Goliath, was created by the hands of both, Donatello and Michelangelo. While these works of art are similar in subject, posture, and symbolization, they vary from each other in period, size, material, and the moment represented.
Donatello and Michelangelo exhibit several similarities in their respective sculptures of David. To begin with, they both portrayed David and Goliath’s fight, where young David killed the giant Goliath. They both used contrapposto
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While Donatello’s David gave the world its first life-sized nude since antiquity, Michelangelo opted for a colossal statue of David. Donatello’s sculpture stands 1.58 m tall, made of bronze and covered with wax. On the contrary, Michelangelo’s 5.18 m tall statue of David was carved out of an enormous marble block. Furthermore, Donatello gave more of a feminine look to David, whereas Michelangelo gave its sculpture a complete, masculine, athletic body.
The two spectacular pieces of art given by the well-known Donatello and Michelangelo, these sculptures of David present a variety of similarities and distinctness at the same time. They not only narrate the story of David, but also represent the state of political circumstances in Florence during the time when they were built. Where they have differences in physical appearances, at the same time they resemble each other in posture, and symbolization. These remarkable works by Donatello and Michelangelo certainly opened paths to variety in the art of sculpture.
Work Cited
Stokstad, Marilyn, and Michael Cothren. "Renaissance Art in Fifteenth-Century Italy." Art History. 4th ed. Vol. 2. Harlow: Prentice Hall, 2010. 604-05. Web. 14 Feb. 2017.
Stokstad, Marilyn, and Michael Cothren. "Sixteen Century Art in Italy." Art History. 4th ed. Vol. 2. Harlow: Prentice Hall, 2010. 641-42. Web. 14 Feb.
Baxandall, Michael. “Conditions of Trade.” Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-century Italy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
A little over 6 feet of marble, Donatello’s first version of David was one of his earliest known commisions that mark the beginning of his artistic career. He was commissioned by the Operai of the cathedral of Florence to create a David statue to decorate one of the buttresses. The statue ended up looking too small when placed high up, so it was taken down and later requested to be displayed in Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall. Many historians dismiss his first version of David, calling this piece unoriginal and nothing to praise.
Anticipated similarities exist between the Roman copy of Doryphorus and Donatello’s David, for the former replicates a product of Classical Greece while the latter is reminiscent of this artistic epoch (The Renaissance was a “re-birth” of this classical form). However, though formal qualities of Classical Greece may be present in David, they are uncharacteristically fashioned; therefore, major degrees of difference are established in terms of characterization. While Doryphorus is a typical example of reconciling idealism and naturalism, Polykleitos does not provide a depth of narrative subtext to this figure. On the other hand, Donatello overtly characterizes David through his effeminate if not androgynous form to deliver a powerful narrative (Duro). From the stance and posture of each sculpture to the use of nudity, Polykleitos’s Doryphorus and Donatello’s David present similarities accountable for in a historical context; however, the obvious structural differences must be
Where one is a bronze statue with a singular figure, the other is a painting with a central figure, from which the story is built. However, their contrasts go beyond what they are made of, to their different subjects and their complexity. Donatello’s David shows youthful beauty and strength, which he confidently exudes through his body language. Standing with one foot atop Goliath’s severed head while turning his body to balance his weight to the other leg, this statue is a clear example of Contrapposto, which the Greeks invented and introduced into their sculptures. Donatello’s statue of David stands triumphant and proudly atop his trophy, while telling the audience I am the conqueror of Giants. His expression is stern to match his
Hartt, Frederick, and David G. Wilkins. History of Italian Renaissance art. 6th ed. of the book. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2006.
A good deal is known about Donatello's life and career, but little is known about his character. Donatello was born in Florence, Italy in 1386 and died in 1466; he was never married and had no children. He was a master of sculpture in bronze and marble and is considered to be one of the greatest Italian Renaissance artists of his time. The first sculpture is of Donatello?s David, 1425-1430. Its material is bronze and stands 5? 2 ¼? and is currently located at Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence. The sculpture is a nude and is contrapposto. The scene being depicted is after the clash with Goliath. Donatello?s statue of David was the first large scale, free-standing nude statue of the Renaissance. The sculpture helps to strike a balance between classicism and the realism by presenting a very real image of a boy in the form of a classical nude figure. Although Donatello was inspir...
Johnson, Geraldine A. Renaissance Art, A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
Brucker, Gene A. & Co. Renaissance Florence. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1969. Mandelbaum, Allen. A.
Bernini’s “David” is 5 foot, 7 inches tall and was made in the year 1623. It is from the Baroque period, a time of discovery, exploration and increased trade. Bernini’s “David” is a three-dimensional sculpture that gives the viewer the ability to relate the image with one’s body and not only in one’s mind. Bernini wanted to show the intensity and dramatic tension in the hero David as he prepares to cast the stone from the sling. In contrast to the intensity of Bernini’s David, Michelangelo’s “David” looks much more contemplative, statuesque and less “life-like” than Bernini’s. This marble sculpture, unlike Michelang...
Michelangelo’s David does not react with the surroundings but it stands alone with the little movements disguised behind it. The sculpture brings out David as a soldier preparing for war and not a person engaged in a battle (Miller, Vandome, & McBrewster, 2010). The hands are larger than normal and the arms are longer than his body. This is meant to illustrate the renaissance period. In contrast, the Bernini’s David has aspects of motion, showing that he was already engaged in the battle with Goliath. The idea of movement is enhanced by the loosely flowing robes. In addition, the sculpture demonstrates that unlike Michelangelo’s David that has longer hands, Bernini’s David has contracted muscles. The Michelangelo’s sculpture was created during Renascence period while the Bernini’s sculpture was done during the Baroque period.
In these two exquisite works of art or shall we call them the grand masterpieces of their era’s. Both Jacques-Louis David’s The Death of Marat and Michelangelo’s Pieta flawlessly reflects the untimely deaths of two significant figures that we know of today. The two figures comprised of Jesus Christ in Michelangelo’s Pieta and Jean-Paul Marat in Jacques-Louis David’s The Death of Marat. In the two pieces, we see that the pair of artists portrays the figures in a divine and yet virtuous way. One work of art almost mimicking the other, yet there is still some differences between the characteristics of each piece still making it its own individual self. In the following paragraphs, we will be diving deeper into the similarities and differences
Donatello, of the Early Renaissance, created the first nude sculpture since ancient Greek and Rome. Michelangelo, of the High Renaissance, embodied the athletic male nude by studying the human body. Although these two artists portrayed the same character, there are several distinctions between them. Donatello has depicted the victorious David after he defeated the Goliath. He used the sword of the Goliath to defeat him. As for the other hand, Michelangelo portrayed David as a humble warrior, patiently waiting for his enemy. In his left hand is the weapon he began with - the slingshot. “Michelangelo breaks away from the traditional way of representing David. He does not present us with the winner, the giant 's head at his feet and the powerful sword in his hand, but portrays the youth in the phase immediately preceding the battle” (Krén and Marx). Michelangelo and Donatello have had a few techniques in common between their sculptures. The first would be the contrapposto stance their statues are in. Another would be how their sculptures are free standing. This means that they are both able to stand without any extra support. As a result, the two have prevailed as artists and gave true significance to the Renaissance.
Baxandall, Michael. “Conditions of Trade.” Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-century Italy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
The David’s that we are going to compare are all within the Renaissance time period and by comparing them you can see the shifts in thought and viewpoint within that period. The three statues of David by Donatello, Verrocchio, and Michelangelo all are great depictions of this story while portraying values of the Italian Renaissance period. They have many things in common while also having their own
Larmann, R., & Shields, M. (2011). Art of Renaissance and Baroque Europe (1400–1750). Gateways to Art (pp. 376-97). New York: W.W. Norton.