Synopsis
Italian sculptor Donatello (1386 – 1466) was the greatest Florentine sculptor before Michelangelo (1475–1564) and was the most influential individual artist of the 15th century in Italy. He was the leading sculptor of the early Renaissance. He gave a different direction to Western art taking it away from the prevalent Gothic style, which was marked by softly curved lines and an expressionless face, to the Classical style with dramatic expressions and detailed realism. Donatello pioneered several artistic techniques, like schiacciato (flattened out). His techniques and works would have a profound and immense influence on later generations of Renaissance artists. Donatello seemingly demanded a measure of artistic freedom. Although he knew a number of humanists well, the artist was not a cultured intellectual. His humanist friends attest that he was a connoisseur of ancient art. The inscriptions and signatures on his works are among the earliest examples of the revival of Classical Roman lettering. He had a more detailed and wide-ranging knowledge of ancient sculpture than any other artist of his day. His work was inspired by ancient visual examples, which he often daringly transformed. Though he was traditionally viewed as essentially a realist, later
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That year, he completed the life-sized marble sculpture, David. The figure follows a Gothic style, popular at the time, with long graceful lines and an expressionless face. The work reflects the influences of sculptors of the time. Technically, it's very well executed, but it lacks the emotional style and innovative technique that would mark Donatello’s later work. Originally, the sculpture was intended for placement in the cathedral. Instead, however, it was set up in the Palazzo Vecchio (the town hall) as an inspiring symbol of defiance of authority to Florentines, who were engaged in a struggle with the king of Naples at the
There have been many staues of David sculpted by famous artists like Donatello, Verrocchio, and Michelangelo. Bernini’s version of David and is about to begin his attack on Goliath, as he appears posing. The statue seems to be moving through space and the action suggests that the action of flinging the stone requires a lot of room around David. The statue forces the observer to look past the actual subject and focus more on the surroundings. He seems to have very muscular legs, and appears to be ready to turn and throw a stone from his sling. This is the most dramatic pose that Bernini could have picked and was chosen because it shows a sudden burst of energy and a moment of suspense as well. Bernini’s David is different from that of
The city of Florence has gone through many invaders, illnesses and many other deaths not related to the battlefield. They had survived it all they believed that they had God on their side and have always come out on top, much like the biblical story of David in battle against Goliath. This influenced Florence to take on David as their symbol and used it to portray the success of Florence. Many artists have created sculptures portraying works of David. It has been depicting it in so many different manners, that there is at least one surviving example from each major art periods. Although there are many we will only be focusing on two works of David. First is Donatello’s classically inspired youthful boy depiction of David, and the second is Bernini’s heroic warrior.
Michelangelo created a 17 foot statue, David (1504) that Bernini studied to make his own depiction of the scene. The most noticeable difference between the two is that Michelangelo’s sculpture is nude while Bernini’s is clothed to an extent. Bernini utilizes the contapposto technique in his story of David, a technique taken straight from Michelangelo. Bernini plays with the immediacy of the scene, something that he does frequently, by depicting the moment right before the climax hits, when David kills Goliath. The movement in the sculpture, the moment before the release of the rock from the sling engages with Michelangelo’s sculpture of David. Michelangelo decided to show David before he
Bernini's David represents the Baroque time shift in art. The shift towards the baroque art period seemed to have a change within the overall narrative of the sculptures. Prior to Bernini’s version of David there existed David’s sculpted by Donatello and Michelangelo. Donatello’s David was sculpted during the time of humanism, where a large influence came from the ancient Greco-Roman culture. The overall emotion of the sculpture is soft and youthful and creates the image of David after he had beaten Goliath. There really is no distinct emotion within David himself in this sculpture. In the high renaissance period Michelangelo sculpted his version of David. This sculpture began to form some energy which was seen in David’s tensed facial expression,
Donatello’s David, the sculpture was the first life-size nude statue since the classical period. The very powerful Medici family commissioned Donatello to create a bronze statue of David to celebrate the triumph of Florence over the larger, more powerful neighbor Milan. Donatello actually sculpted David twice. Donatello was interested in the psychology of his figures and interested in
Because of the facial features portrayed on the face of the statue of David, it is suggested that Michelangelo sculpted David to portray him after his decision to fight Goliath was made but not before the actual battle took place. Michelangelo kept the Renaissance practice of keeping its subjects in a calm position, by depicting David’s action before the battle in his statue.
Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475, at Caprese, in Tuscany and died February 18th, 1564. The second sculpture is of Michelangelo?s David, 1501-1504. Its material is marble, it stands 13' 5" and is currently located at the Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence. Michelangelo's David is based on the artistic discipline of disegno. It is said that under this discipline, sculpture is considered to be the finest form of art because of how it mimics divine creation. Michelangelo worked under the premise that the image of David was already in the block of marble he was working on, in much the same way that the human soul is thought to be found within the physical body (Michelangelo's David). Unlike the David of Donatello, Michelangelo's David is not shown after conquering his enemy. Instead, he is portrayed as an extremely athletic and manly character; the sculpture even depicts a worried look cast upon David?s face and the carved marble veins seem to pulse with anticipation as he contemplates the upcoming fight. Cast over David?s shoulder is his sling, and the stone is
Produced by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1787, Don Giovanni is regarded as one the best operas ever made. The piece is based on the legend of Don Juan, an illusory libertine and seducer of women (Kerns, 2010). At first, Mozart’s opera seems more like a story of the romantic adventures of a dissolute nobleman and his disgrace. However, there is much more to Don Giovanni than just a series of events and serious laughs, just as the protagonist is much more than a notorious, single-minded, and unprincipled seducer. Closer examination of the piece reveals its core themes of social classes and divisions as depicted by Leporello’s complaints about his servitude to his employer in the first scene (Mozart, Fisher, & Ponte, 2007). The play also touches on vital human traits and principles, including loyalty, faithfulness, and sincerity. More importantly, Don Giovanni centers on the ambiguity intrinsic to human relations, the intricate connection between life and death, and the interminable tension between love and the risk of its extermination.
Donatello’s father was also a craftsman which helped Donato become a sculptor. He started his journey of a sculptor at the Stonemasons’ Guild. He then apprenticed under Lorenzo Ghiberti, were he started to work for the masters of the bronze reliefs on the doors of the Florence Baptistery. Donatello had made many great life sized statues made from marble, like David, which was supposed to be a decoration for the cathedral in Florence. As Donatello grew up, his work got more mature and unique.
After returning to Rome, Michelangelo heard about a sculpture that two other artists could not complete because of its difficulty. Because of his success with ‘‘La Pieta,’’ Michelangelo decides to take over the job. He created ‘‘David’’ in 1501 and four years later the sculpture was placed outside the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Michelangelo’s intention was to portray ‘‘David’’as the perfect and ideal man. Michelangelo took three years to sculpt this 17 feet sculpture, and ‘‘David’’ quickly became the pride of Florence.
The statue of David, completed by Michelangelo in 1504, is an easily recognizable symbol to people not only in Florence, but from all around the world. The David has a special meaning for Florentines, and is a symbol of what the city strives to be; strong, courageous, and youthful. The sculpture tells the tale of the battle between David and Goliath. David, a young boy at the time, was angered at the way Goliath was treating the Israelis and stood up to the giant feat of taking on Goliath. With a simple slingshot and stone, he defeated the angry giant, and became a symbol of liberty. The story shows that anything can be done with the help of God. David is not only the most well-known sculpture in the world, but is housed in one of the
Donatello significantly reinvented the meaning of sculpture during his the Italian Renaissance. These influences were carried on through the generations and are still seen in many sculptures created today. In lesser detail, the way Donatello used human anatomy, perspective, and realism in his work was like no other at the time, Donatello worked with a variety of materials, but Donatello’s profound knowledge laid in the hands of bronze. Some of Donatello's most notable pieces are called The Feast of Herod, Saint Mark, and
This piece created by michelangelo was sculpted in 1501 and is made out of marble. The location that was chosen was Accademia Gallery, in Florence, Italy. People think that this sculptor just represents David and Goliath, but there is more to it. The sculptor is not showing david while he is fighting, but mere seconds after victory. Before the Renaissance, if one did not have money, man was looked upon as only a worker. During the Renaissance, man was recreated as a beautiful, rational, and heroic figure. “David” signified a man at his best with the glory and confidence that a man needs to live life to the fullest. Life was hard for most men during this time and Michelangelo showed us that by expressing a deeper meaning in
His arms are slightly long for his body, and the muscles not as developed as those of a man. His waist is small, and the form of his ribs is sculpted enough to know that he is lacking muscle definition. His stomach seems to pop out a little bit, perhaps suggesting the "baby fat" that he has yet to work off. He has one hand resting limply on his hip, while his other rests on a sword handle. His hair is shoulder length and slightly untamed, while a hat rests slightly tilted atop his head. His head is tilted slightly downward, and a slight upward bend in his lip looks almost like a building smile. One leg is straight, supporting his weight, while the other is propped on the head of the slain Goliath. The bends of his limbs are very natural, and the attention to detail exemplifies Donatello’s understanding of human anatomy. A closer look at the sculpture, however, reveals the details that set it apart from other works of the master.
When thinking of sculptures, one of the first that comes to mind is David. This statue was created of marble between 1501 and 1504 and stands over 14 feet high. David is a symbol that represents strength and anger. The statue had intended political connotations for the ruling of the Medici family. Michelangelo used David as model of "heroic courage" to demonstrate that "spiritual strength can be more effective than arms". Michelangelo insisted that David should stand as a symbol of the republic and act as a warning that Florence shall be governed justly and bravely". This was the first time since antiquity that a large nude statue be exhibited in a public place.