Representation of David

Representation of David

Introduction

People of Florence had faced many invaders, and all of them could not stay much because they were either struck with illness or died of other reasons, and this made the people there believe that God was by their side, just the way He was with David when he was battling with Goliath. Thus, Florence which is also known as Rome of the Renaissance, assumed David to be their symbol, and Medici usually used the image of David to show others that they were the reason for the success of Florence. Many different artists have portrayed David in different manners and all of them are the remarkable art works of their relevant times (Jack, 1998). This is what makes the biblical slayer of Goliath a measuring stick of political influence on art and style. Bernini's David is a clear representation of David's response to the Holy Spirit and shows that God's will was united with his will. The different representations of David made by artists Donatello, Michelangelo and Bernini are a representation of the beginning, the height and the ending of the Italian Renaissance, and all three pieces of art reflect different views on the interaction of man with God.

Donatello's David

Donatello's has presented David as a young boy and he is pubescent. The long feather which is curled and comes from the helmet of Goliath, goes up to the back of David's right leg in a gesture that is seemingly erotic. Donatello had chosen to represent David's youth as he wanted to emphasize that David was not old enough to have experienced the miracle which he did; it was actually the Holy Spirit that aspired him to accept the challenge and slay Goliath using the shepherd boy as a vessel that was passive (Lubow, 2008). David was not himself involved in downfall of Goliath and the large sword in his hand is a representation of the Sword of Truth which came from Revelations.

Michelangelo's David

The David made by Michelangelo is depicted to be in his mid to late twenties, and is shown to have completely developed in terms of his masculinity. He is poised right before he throws the stone. It can be interpreted that the statue is a reflection of the Italian city state of Florence, which was also Michelangelo's birthplace. The body seems to be properly proportioned, except David's right hand. It is important to note that the right hand seems to be larger than the rest of David's body which is an indication that according to Michelangelo, David's hand was the cause of Goliath's fall. According to him, the Holy Spirit or the Sword of Truth was not responsible for Goliath's fall the way it was according to Donatello. The instance that Michelangelo chose to portray in his work is different from Donatello's depiction of victory and triumph (Marra, 2006).

The sculpture of David made by Michelangelo is a 17' statue which was carved from marble during the year 1501-1504. This huge sculpture is shown to ...