Comparing David And David In Donatello's David
These two David’s sculptures might look very different from each other at the first glance, but if you study them close, they actually have many similarities.
One of Donatello’s best-known work portrays David after he defeated Goliath by striking him with a stone and cutting his head off with Goliath’s own sword. Donatello was the first artist that created a nude life-sized sculpture since antiquity. His bronze sculpture of David indicates that he completely mastered the classical tradition of art. Particularly his sculpture reflects the style of Polykleitos who was one of the best-known Greek sculptors of classical antiquity and one of his famous works of Doryphoros had a big influence on Donatello’s David. Donatello represents David as a
young boy and by his complexion we can see that his muscles are just barely developed, which represents that he couldn’t possibly defeat the giant, who was a professionally trained warrior since his childhood, by himself. This was Donatello’s way to show that God helped David to conquer the Goliath. Donatello seems to point out not just the human body but its youthful vitality which is shadowing the Florentine state itself. This young shepherd can represent the strength and high moral standards of the Florentine republic and city’s persistent resistance to domination. In fact, when in 1469, the statue stood in the courtyard of the Medici palace, it bore the following inscription: “The victor is whoever defends the fatherland. All-powerful God crushes the angry enemy. Behold, a boy overcomes the great tyrant. Conquer, O citizens!”.
In 1501 Michelangelo was given an opportunity to sculpt a statue of David for the cathedral in Florence. He was given an old partially cut block of marble that other sculptors rejected. However, Michelangelo took the challenge and created over 17 feet high nude sculpture of David that became the most popular marble sculpture till this day. In his work, we can see that Michelangelo intentionally references the previous sculpture of David by his predecessor Donatella, whom he admires, but challenges his work by representing David before he defeated the Goliath. This David is portrayed as a strong young man, who is confident that with God's help he can defeat the Giant and he is ready to face whatever challenges are coming his way. The nudity of the David statue and his pose reflects the style of Ancient Greek art and its heroic individualism fully apprehends the celebrations of humanism. The David’s figure also reflects the political and moral state of the Florence republic itself. It was the symbol of the city’s will to stand up against any tyrannical rule even the Medici. When comparing these sculptures, we can notice some similarities and differences. To begin with, the most noticeable similarity that catches our eye right away is the posture of the David sculpture. Both artists used the Contrapposto pose to make David look more natural and alive. This is achieved by shifting body weight to one leg. Another similarity is that both statues are nude, however there is a small difference between them. Donatello's David wears boots and a shepherds’ hat, while Michelangelo’s David doesn't have any accessories or clothing.
One of Donatello’s best-known work portrays David after he defeated Goliath by striking him with a stone and cutting his head off with Goliath’s own sword. Donatello was the first artist that created a nude life-sized sculpture since antiquity. His bronze sculpture of David indicates that he completely mastered the classical tradition of art. Particularly his sculpture reflects the style of Polykleitos who was one of the best-known Greek sculptors of classical antiquity and one of his famous works of Doryphoros had a big influence on Donatello’s David. Donatello represents David as a
young boy and by his complexion we can see that his muscles are just barely developed, which represents that he couldn’t possibly defeat the giant, who was a professionally trained warrior since his childhood, by himself. This was Donatello’s way to show that God helped David to conquer the Goliath. Donatello seems to point out not just the human body but its youthful vitality which is shadowing the Florentine state itself. This young shepherd can represent the strength and high moral standards of the Florentine republic and city’s persistent resistance to domination. In fact, when in 1469, the statue stood in the courtyard of the Medici palace, it bore the following inscription: “The victor is whoever defends the fatherland. All-powerful God crushes the angry enemy. Behold, a boy overcomes the great tyrant. Conquer, O citizens!”.
In 1501 Michelangelo was given an opportunity to sculpt a statue of David for the cathedral in Florence. He was given an old partially cut block of marble that other sculptors rejected. However, Michelangelo took the challenge and created over 17 feet high nude sculpture of David that became the most popular marble sculpture till this day. In his work, we can see that Michelangelo intentionally references the previous sculpture of David by his predecessor Donatella, whom he admires, but challenges his work by representing David before he defeated the Goliath. This David is portrayed as a strong young man, who is confident that with God's help he can defeat the Giant and he is ready to face whatever challenges are coming his way. The nudity of the David statue and his pose reflects the style of Ancient Greek art and its heroic individualism fully apprehends the celebrations of humanism. The David’s figure also reflects the political and moral state of the Florence republic itself. It was the symbol of the city’s will to stand up against any tyrannical rule even the Medici. When comparing these sculptures, we can notice some similarities and differences. To begin with, the most noticeable similarity that catches our eye right away is the posture of the David sculpture. Both artists used the Contrapposto pose to make David look more natural and alive. This is achieved by shifting body weight to one leg. Another similarity is that both statues are nude, however there is a small difference between them. Donatello's David wears boots and a shepherds’ hat, while Michelangelo’s David doesn't have any accessories or clothing.