About Donatello Michelangelo

The statues of David were located in different locations in Italy. The artworks of David were made possibly by Donatello, Michelangelo, and Bernini. The statues represent king David of Israel who is known as a biblical hero. King David killed goliath, a hero warrior using a stone and swirl. The difference between these artist’s artwork is the time period each artist created their statues. Another difference is the materials used to create the statue, the body posture of David and the dress code that an artist used.

One aspect of the Renaissance revival of classical principle and values in the arts is using perspective systems in relief sculpture and painting. Donatello, David portrayed the first nude male figure in a statue for display in the courtyard of the Medici Palace in Florence. The subject of this statue was the “youthful biblical slayer of Goliath who had become the symbol of the Florentine Republic” (Kleiner 469). This subject made an ideal choice for the people of the powerful family Medici. Donatellos bronze David has both a relaxed contrapposto meaning that he arranged the statue where the arms and shoulders contrasts while the hips and legs balanced. He also shows the beauty of a nude Greek God. Which makes sense why some might assume that his subject was a Greek god or an athlete rather than a youthful biblical slayer. Moral controversy was brought up about the statue being naked. “In the Middle Ages, the clergy regarded nude statues as both indecent and idolatrous, and, as noted in the opening discussion of Birth of Venus” (Kleiner 469). Generally, nudity was seldom in medieval art. Classical nude was reinvented by Donatello, this even attracted his patrons, the Medici.

Michelangelo was one of the Greatest masters of the high Renaissance. He concentrated on the human figure. He saw the body’s beauty in a natural and spiritual level. He used his self-imposed isolation, creativity, and independent to constantly improve his skills. Michelangelo used marble that was left over from an earlier aborted commission with David’s sculpture. This happened after the Florentine Republic ordered the transfer of Donatello’s David to the Palazzo della Signoria from the Medici. The Florentine community recognized Michelangelo’s extraordinary talent and referred to the sculpture as “the Giant”. Michelangelo’s portrayed David’s characteristics representation of energy that fills his later figure with the tenseness of coiled spring. Davids anatomy plays a huge part in this prelude to action. David’s swelling vein and tightening sinew intensified the psychological energy of his pose. When creating this artwork Michelangelo definitely had the classical nude in mind. He liked and respected Greco-Roman statues due to its excellent and exact representation of heroic body structure. Although Michelangelo admired the Greco-Roman statues he didn’t completely imitate the antique style instead his took control of his own representation in his work. He left alone the self-contained composition of the 15th century David and made him look at the enemy. This David is more connected to a hidden presence beyond the statue. Michelangelo made David gigantic showing emotions towards his enemy rather than sticking to the calm ideal beauty. He used his one doubt and passion and created a master piece.

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