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Art & music in the baroque period
Art & music in the baroque period
Art expression in the renaissance period
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In 450 BCE Greek Sculptor, Polykleito’s created one of the most famous and influential works of art of the classical era, Spear Thrower. The sculpture depicted a very muscular young man most likely thought to Greek Mythological warrior Achilles. When Polykleito’s sculpted Spear Thrower he created the man’s body in perfect proportion and size, meaning to have the man represent the ideal or perfect body among humans. Since Spear Thrower was sculpted in 450 BCE in Greece it makes a lot of sense that the man in the sculptor would be Achilles considering at the time almost every painting or sculpture revolved around their religion, Greek Mythology. Since most of the sculptures created during the time revolved so heavily around figures from Greek …show more content…
Mythology, Polykleito’s Spear Thrower fit right into the times. Compared to the David statues created by Michelangelo and Bernini, Spear Thrower is similar in some aspects and in other aspects, it was very different. Almost 2000 years after Polykleito created The Spear Thrower, in 1501, Italian artist Michelangelo created his famous statue of David.
Initially Michelangelo created the sculpture for the buttress of a Vatican cathedral; however, the work of art was so beautiful and powerful that the city displayed it in the city center instead. Michelangelo’s statue depicted exactly what the title states, a larger than life sized sculpture of the Roman Catholic biblical figure King David. Michelangelo had created the statue during the High Renaissance period of art. The High Renaissance period was a period in art where the works of art represented self-confidence, humanism, classical forms, and a dominating sense of stability and order. He represents stability and order because he represents the Florentines “Right over Might” as well as their battles against Milan, Sienna, and Pisa. These wars showed that although the Florentines were under attack and military pressure they had so much stability that they were able to stay together even during hard times. In addition, the High Renaissance period was a period where a lot of the art that was produced revolved around religious ideas and figures from the Roman Catholic Church, so the statue of David fit right in because of his influence on the Catholic …show more content…
faith. About a millennium after Michelangelo sculpted his famous David sculpture, Italian artist Bernini created his own take on the famous David statue.
Bernini started out as a sculpture but soon found him dealing more in the trade of architecture; however, he always stayed true to his sculpturing ability. In 1632, Bernini created his statue of David for Pope Paul V. It was the first sculpture of its time to introduce a three dimensional composition that forcefully intrudes into the viewers space. The way the statue was created depicts David twisting at the hips giving David the appearance that he is in full action. Bernini created his David during the Baroque art period, a period that reflected on the religious tensions of the Roman Catholic Church. Bernini’s David is very characteristic of the Baroque period because it features a biblical figure, David ready to defeat Goliath. The way the statue was created it represent s a strong religious figure, but it also represents the Roman Catholic faith as a whole as well, showing that the faith and religion is also a strong and courageous faith as
well. All three of the statues have many aspects that are common to one another and many aspects that are very alien to one another. Each one of the statues depicts a warrior of a man. The Spear Thrower depicting the Mythological Greek warrior Achilles and the other two depict the Roman Catholic warrior hero King David. In addition, each one of the statues depicts a religious figure from their respective religions; David forms the Roman Catholic religion and Achilles from Greek Mythology. Although the sculptures had a very common theme of warriors and religion the way the sculpture were made and constructed made each one is unique in appearance. One of the first things that you would notice if you were to look at the three sculptures together is that Polykleito’s Spear Thrower is made of bronze unlike the other two that were constructed of marble. Another difference between the three sculptures is that Bernini’s David is the only sculpture not is depicted nude. In addition, Bernini’s David is the only one to have the appearance of motion due to David’s twisting hips, compared to the other two where the two men are only standing showing no signs of motion at all. Finally Bernini’s statue depicted a fairly mature man, unlike the other two statues that depicted a warrior who was fairly young.
The Egyptians had influenced Early Greek art for several years; it was during the time of war (Archaic Period) and art was not their top priority. Most of their sculptures were similar to those in Egypt and there was no sense of personal style. However, as peace was approaching, artists started to focus on how to make their work outstanding. They took advantage of their knowledge in anatomy and started applying it to their blocks of marbles. During the early Classical Period, Kritios Boy was sculpted, and it showed the break from the Egyptian style.
This invention distinguish his David from any other David Statue before him. At Bernini’s ear, David was a popular subject in Italy. At that time Italy did not have a powerful central government, and cities were seeking for their independence. The story of David killed Goliath and won the independence of Israel was understand as a symbol of independent. Therefore the statue of David also had political meanings. The two most famous David were from Donatello and Michelangelo. Donatello made two David, one was marble and one was bronze, but the ideas behind them are same. Donatello’s David stood still. He had successfully achieve his goal and killed Goliath, whose head lying at his feet. Michelangelo’s David was nude and had perfect athletic muscles and proportion, and fairly smooth flesh. His body was so perfect that made him immortal and divine. He had not yet embarked on the actual combat but would departure instantly. He stood still confidently. Michelangelo’s David was actually much more vivid than Donatello’s. Nevertheless, when compared to Bernini’s David, even the former seems lack the sense of motion. Bernini made his David a mortal. Bernini expressed a man in the middle of his ferocious action in an ultra realistic
The most well-known statue of David is the one by Michelangelo, but it is important to look at one of the original statues and the influences each preceding statue had on the next. The statues by Donatello, Michelangelo, and Bernini portray different views concerning the interaction between man and God.
The statue of David best describes the ongoing influence of Protestant and catholic controversy on the visual arts. Michaelangelo uses David, a character from the Old Testament as his subject matter. The story goes that David, a mer man throws a stone with a slingshot at the mighty giant Goliath and kills him. (Your basic good vs. Evil.) Michaelangelo uses Clericism in this piece by incorporating a story from the bible, and on the other hand also incorporates his humanism influence into the work of art by placing himself as the character David; Giving us the impression that even the mer man can overcome his problems with knowledge of how to defeat them, instead of continually relying on the almighty to solve your problems for you. David shows the 2 conflicting views in a magnificent statue form.
During the time of the renaissance, Italy became the cultural center of Europe and of the renaissance (“Italian Renaissance”). Art had a major impact on the people of Italy during the Renaissance. Many pieces of art were seen as a metaphor for the people of Italy. Italy had independent city-states with their own governments (“Italian Renaissance”). Michelangelo’s sculpture “David” was an example of a sculpture seen as a metaphor. It represented the biblical hero from the story of David and Goliath was seen as a metaphor for the people of Italy against the government it reminded them that someone as small as David once defeated a giant(“Michelangelo Buonarroti”). Even though the arts were changing in Italy, the government was not doing so well. Michelangelo had training in humanism which in the renaissance artist’s art challenged the church and government, they also encouraged that others do the same (“Italian Renaissance”.) This led to many wars throughout this
It is distinguished by progressive survey of movements through space, a fusion of idealistic form and realistic depiction, and the refining of canon of proportion. A famous sculpture from this period is the Kritios Boy, dated 480 B.C. from Athens. It contrasts significantly from Archaic kouroi sculpture in that the Kritios Boy’s weight is shifted creating what we know as the contrapposto. The groundbreaking movement in the body gives the observer the impression that muscles are underneath the exterior of the marble skin, and that a skeleton expresses the whole as a real
The pieces of art I will be comparing and contrasting are the three statues of David, by Donatello (Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi), Michelangelo (Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni), and Bernini (Gian Lorenzo Bernini). The statues are modeled after the biblical David, who was destined to become the second king of Israel. Also most famously known as the slayer of the Philistine giant Goliath with a stone and a sling. The sculptures are all based on the same biblical hero, but differ from one another. Each David is unique in its own certain way.
Doryphoros by Polykleitos was originally a Greek bronze made around 450-40B.C. The only way we can see it today is through the Roman marble copies (which is common of many Greek statues.) Some supports had to be added for the change in material, resulting in the addition of the form resembling a tree trunk, the support on the left foot, and the small bar bridging the gap between his right wrist and hip. Doryphoros was originally holding a spear in his left hand; appropriate, given that his name means, literally, “spear-bearer.” The sculpture is a well-known and early example of classical Greek contrapposto (the shifting of weight onto one leg and off-axis shoulders and arms.) One leg nearly appears to be lifting off the ground, giving the effect of movement. The perceived weight shift adds more dynamism to the piece, and contributes to the realism of the figure. The resulting slight “s-curve” of the figure is true to what we might see in life, and reflects an interest in proportion and anatomy, as seen with many Greek sculptures of the age. This is made particularly clear in the defined muscle groups of the figure and attention to details such as the structure of the knees, hands, and feet. Polykleitos sculpted many athletic male bodies in the nature of his personal aesthetic canon, which we can see exemplified here through the intense attention to the mathematics of the human body. The contours of the figure are visually interesting and although the figure does not hold much facial expression, his body language and presence speak volumes of his existence as the epitome of masculinity.
Donatello was the son of Niccolo di Betto Bardi, a Florentine wool carder. It is not known how he started his career but probably learned stone carving from one of the sculptors working for the cathedral of Florence about 1400. Sometime between 1404 and 1407 he became a member of the workshop of Lorenzo Ghiberti who was a sculptor in bronze. Donatello’s earliest work was a marble statue of David. The “David” was originally made for the cathedral but was moved in 1416 to the Palazzo Vecchio which is a city hall where it long stood as a civic patriotic symbol. From the sixteenth century on it was eclipsed by the gigantic “David” of Michelangelo which served the same purpose. Other of Donatello’s early works which were still partly gothic are the impressive seated marble figure of St. John the Evangelist for the cathedral and a wooden crucifix in the church of Sta. Croce.
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.
Ajax and Achilles Playing Dice was created by Exekias in the Archaic era of Greek art. This piece features two seated black figures on what appears to be a red or brown backdrop. The two characters, Achilles and Ajax, are, as the title suggests, engaged in a game of dice. Although this the vase was produced for a larger audience than it’s comparative counterpart, it is meticulously crafted, as showcased in the details on the clothing, specifically the cloaks of the figures. Other details on the vase include several inscriptions that tell the reader of the game and its victor, Achilles, and of the artist’s patrons. A particularly interesting factor of the piece is that Achilles, though no longer in battle, still wears his helmet. This attribute
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564) was an Italian poet, architect, painter and sculptor. Not only was he thought to be the greatest artist during his lifetime but he has also been thought to be one of the greatest artists of all time (Gilbert). The Florence Cathedral asked him to complete an abandoned commission from a giant block of marble, to depict yet another David to be a symbol of Florence, and was to be placed on the gable of the Cathedral. Michelangelo finished the giant 17’ statue in 1504. It never made it up on the Cathedral but instead was placed in the Piazza della Signoria and is now in the Gallery of the Academy of Florence while a replica stands in the square. Like the other two David’s, this statue uses the classic contrapposto stance. Also like Donatello’s, Michelangelo depicted the classical nude but with an athletic physique. Unlike Donatello and Verrocchio’s statues though, which show the hero’s triumph and Goliath’s head at their feet, Michelangelo chose to show David before the battle. He portrays the young warrior with his sling in his left hand over his shoulder and a rock in his right, which he is starting to clench. His head is turned to his left watching the oncoming opponent with an intensity in his gaze. Michelangelo’s David shows the tension before the action with a feeling of pent-up energy like he’s about to explode into action. Because of these
Ancient Greek sculptures were the mix of Egyptian and Syrian styles. In 800 to 300 B.C., Greek sculptures had a powerful inspiration throughout the centuries. The Greek sculpture was divided into seven periods: Mycenaean, Sub-Mycenaean or Dark Age, Proto-Geometric, Geometric, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic (Collins 1). Greek sculptures were created by using marble, bronze, stone, and limestone, but bronze was in most demand. The most common production to make Greek sculpture is the lost-wax method. First, the sculptors would make clay inside the core, almost the size of a figure which was then coated in wax. Then, they would replace the melted wax with bronze. When the bronze became solid, the sculptors would remove the clay. Finally, the sculpture would be polished and added with other decorations. Most Greek sculptures were in a freestanding of a human form because Greeks saw beauty in human body form. Early Greek statues were rigid and straight, but later on, the Greek adopted more natural relaxed pose: knees and arm bent, and head turned. Greek artists captured the human pose in a way never seen before with concerns in proportion, pose, and perfection of the human body (Cartwright 1). Most of these statues are signed by artists, so there are six famous sculptors in Ancient Greece. The f...
Even the few sculptor’s names known to us, usually by chance, from the imperial period are Greek names and seem to confirm the assumption that these artists’ work should be regarded simply as a late phase of Greek art” (Hanfmann, 12). The Greeks were the first western culture to figure out how to accurately depict the human form which they did through the use of geometric ratios. It is also widely accepted that it was even Greek artists who first made marble portraits for the Romans as the Romans originally had no skill with the stone. “It was certainly at first Greek artists who were entrusted by eminent Romans with the execution of portraits of themselves and of important personalities in the Roman state, just as it was Greeks who depicted Aemilius Paulus victory at Pydna and later were largely responsible for the portraits of the emperors” (Kahler 16). The Romans mainly used terracotta for their sculptures and it was only when Augustus reigned that the marble quarries at Carrara were opened and marble was used on a large scale. The Romans inherited the use of realistic proportions, the sense of movement (contrapposto), and the overall beauty of Greek sculptures. A great example of Roman sculpture that was clearly carved by a Greek artist who was familiar with the Hellenistic styles of Greece, is the Relief of the Wedding of Amphitrite and Neptune. It “shows a mythological