Depiction of Historical Figures in Michelangelo's David

History usually refers to the written study of the past. The study of historical patterns can thwart the repetitions of failures and promote the repetition of achievement. In the ways by which historical events and their consequences are in preserved shape our view of the past and allow us to envision other possibilities. The historic architecture or sculptors of an event, such as an Italian renaissance or catholic counter-reformation promoting Christianity was created to influence how we understand it. Over time, objects created to be used as devices to help people remember the past that has gained recognition for their beauty as well as utility.

Michelangelo’s David is one of the most attractive high Renaissance pieces of artwork made during the early 15th century. Michelangelo impressed his contemporaries as a forceful personality, a divine genius with intense emotional power. The period of Michelangelo’s lifetime has been variously characterized as the age of printing, humanism, the Reformation, the Renaissance and the age of discovery. This was a period of rapid development in technology. (Bull 1995) The marble figurine of David is created with the height of 13feet and 5 inches tall and located in the Galleria dell’Accademia Florence, Italy and was earlier an art School. The biblical hero named David was the most common subject in Renaissance art, particularly in Florence due to his bravery and courageous behavior. He became the symbol of defense of the civil independence depicted in the Florentine Republic. (Coonin 2014)

The story of David is an old demonstration that was brave enough to take on a terrible giant, the Giant, which all the older man was afraid to confront. He goes to battle against Goliath without any armor on behalf of Israelites and defeats him with help of God. Slingshot in left hand and stone in right hand.Bible says that David fought with Goliath without armor not completely nude. It showed the perfect male nude figurine, of the mathematically specific sizes in a natural pose by which the simple body is being represented. The operative pose is known as the 'contrapposto' which exactly means counterpose. The entire muscular figure is ‘open’ on a side with the left arm raised and tense to spiritual and physical energy in its strong limbs. David reflected the passion for using the disturbingly sensuous male nude to precise both the sculptors own feeling and hypothetical emotions of a subject. (Coonin 2014)

According to me, The gestures of body parts are not similar to natural human beings due to the size and shape of the parts. It seems much bigger or we can say effortless architecture. The posture in which he is standing illustrates his seriousness and calmness even he win from the great giant who was ten to fifteen times more stronger or bigger than him. The posture and nudity are more seductive. The asymmetric position of his hands and feet's indicates his wisdom and power. I think that his big hand demonstrates his physical strength.

Michelangelo David is a mystical descendant to the ancient figure, reborn on a gigantic scale and establishes a new meaning. Renaissance means Rebirth. Michelangelo's David is an alternative of an ancient sculpture composition known mostly through the statue called Doryphorus created by the Greek sculptor polykleitos during the 15th century. David is a mythological figure. But the original statue is depicted in bronze as a design of imaginative and abstract idea of beauty by Donatello. Michelangelo's David is often described as a figure with the perfect body and ideal proportions. This is a true example of the entrenched goal and Renaissance sculptor. Art was an abstraction from nature, but in sculptor, it ultimately creates that what nature actually does not provides to us. David has attained the legendary status but on another side, the statue was not admired and the disproportions were fairly emphasized and even convicted. (Coonin 2014)In the Renaissance, the composition of art was done in form of Pyramid and it was in a very stable shape (Zucker n.d.).

A posture of David shows the feminism. Michelangelo shows the Contrapposto of the body, in which he shows the weight on one leg rather than on both. The facial expressions of Michelangelo David could not be defined because the face used in the marble statue seems emotionless as his passion for using the disturbingly sensuous male nude to express both the sculptures own feelings and the supposed emotions of a subject. David overcame his Goliath in the flesh with the sling so that Michelangelo would overcome his giant in marble with the bow. (Bull 1995)

Looking forward to the depiction of David the sculpture is described with nudity, muscularity, and the way he standing. The biblical figure of David has been represented in various ways as a king warrior and many more. Michelangelo chooses the different concepts including the classical antiquity and biblical style. He uses the innovation or innovative ideas for his work. (Bull 1995) Gianlorenzo Bernini was a sculpture, architect, draught son and a painter and son of Pietro Bernini. He begins his artwork in the 17th century and was not as good as another artist in designer art but was good at constructing furniture. (Preimesberger 2010) Bernini’s David work of art begins in 1623,170 cm tall located in Galleria Borghese Rome, Italy. He is claimed as the great artist of his time in constructing furniture. Bernini referred to the existing notions of human expressions and the ancient theory of typology.

This sculpture of the David is depicting in the position of throwing pitcher winding up to 95 miles an hour.The emotions and feeling of the movement can be seen through facial expression.He had covered the space around him in a unique way in which one can actually describe what he is doing. Baroque art not only relates to the image but also to a mind of the people that actually show the motion in once life. (Zucker n.d.) But the construction of this Bernini's David was during the Baroque era the composition of the shapes during that time period were in the diagonal lines as compared to the Michelangelo's David.The diagonal lines describe the movement drama happening at the particular instance with the composition of the flow of energy and was very different from the mobility of the pyramid shape. (Academy n.d.). According to me, the posture of David shows the movement of motions and the figure looks like an athlete as he is throwing the ball to the goal. The facial expressions say a lot of words such as depicts his curiosity of throwing the pitcher. His hairs are curly and his body depicts sturdiness or an ideal body's character. It seems like he is putting more pressure or weight on his right feet and left feet seems shows his upcoming step. In simple words or easy description, it shows the gesture of throwing a shot put in the athletes. The background of the statue shows that it is in the museum where most of the architecture is done with marble. It shows a steady state. It reveals the classical antiquity.

Conclusion

To conclude, Michelangelo's David was constructed during the Renaissance period of art. Whereas, Bernini's David was created during the counterreformation Gothic period of art and architecture. Both David provides different historical, social and cultural depictions using different time, space and dimensionality. The depiction of David by both the artists gives the artistic way and a new level of style to the art such as pyramids and diagonal line. The marble replica of David by Michelangelo is similar to the bronze statue by Donatello illustrating the same story and style but it does not include the face of the great giant underneath David's feet. Whereas, Donatello gives proper attention to giants' face with the crown of the giant.