Source: Wikimedia Commons
“I saw an angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free.”
Michelangelo’s statue of David has been deeply admired by common people and masters of the fine arts alike and called the very definition of beauty and perfection. It's probably the most famous statue in the world and stands in a public square in Florence, Italy, not only as a mere sculpture of a biblical hero but as proof of Michelangelo’s prowess as well as a symbol of Renaissance art.
Michelangelo: A Genius Sculptor
Source: Wikipedia
Michelangelo was a superstar artist. He was born in the Republic of Florence on 6th March 1475. He was a sculptor, painter, architect, engineer, and poet of the High Renaissance. He had an incomparable impact on the evolution of Western art. His artistic range was so great that he and his adversary and elder contemporary, Leonardo da Vinci, are sometimes regarded contenders for the title of archetypal Renaissance man.
Michelangelo wrote in one of his poems, “son dresser bruto” (I know I am ugly). He had a broken nose which didn’t heal straight and appeared crushed into his face, giving him, as he said, “the look of a beggar”. He was troubled by his appearance which also may be the reason he never did any self-portraits.
His ugliness could’ve also been the reason for his eternal pursuit of beauty and perfection. Michelangelo couldn't change his own appearance, but he could ensure that his David would be the benchmark by which male beauty would be measured.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Michelangelo was a religious man and believed himself to be a tool of God. Rather than creating a sculpture out of marble, he was merely freeing what was trapped inside. He was only 26 years old (The year 1501) when he was commissioned to sculpt a giant statue of David, the biblical hero, to be erected on the roof of Florence's Cathedral, 80 meters above street level. He was already regarded as a master after carving the painfully exquisite "Pieta" in Rome only two years before.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Story of David and Goliath
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The story of David and Goliath is from the biblical Book of Samuel. The story begins with the attack of the Philistines on the Israelites. Every day, the Philistines would send their champion, a giant named Goliath, who would then challenge an Israelite to fight him. Goliath was bigger and taller than everyone else, a formidable opponent. He was armored and equipped, wielding a sword, spear, and a big shield. No one dared to stand up to him.
David was a young shepherd boy with a strong belief in God. Upon hearing of Goliath's challenge, with his faith in the Lord, he decided to confront the giant. David assured King Saul that he would not be afraid to face Goliath. David claimed that he once killed a lion and a bear while tending to his sheep. He believed the Lord would protect him now because he had been protected by the Lord before.
Saul offered his armor but David declined as it didn’t fit. With only 5 stones picked from the brook, a slingshot, and his shepherd’s stick, he went to fight Goliath. David believed in God and declared that he would defeat Goliath to demonstrate the Lord's power.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
David charged Goliath. With his sling, he quickly hurled a stone that struck Goliath’s head and he fell to the ground. After he fell, David drew a sword and cut off his head which he later presented to King Saul. Without a sword or armor, David was able to defeat Goliath with the help of the Lord.
The Significance of Michelangelo’s David
Michelangelo built his 14ft, David, out of a very old and apparently flawed block of marble, already owned by the Cathedral, already worked on and rejected by two other sculptors, one of whom started working on the statue but barely went as far as roughing out some draperies and carving a hole between the legs before abandoning the project.
After sitting in the yard of the Cathedral workshop for 26 years, Michelangelo was finally contracted to complete the sculpture. Since the marble had already been hacked, Michelangelo had to work meticulously. There wasn’t any room for error.
Source: EmptyEasel
David had to glance to the side since there wasn't enough marble for him to face forward, and he had to be in the “contrapposto,” or counterpose so that his legs could fit around the big hole in the marble. Because of the depth of the block, he'd have to be slim.
David was traditionally depicted triumphantly over the dead Goliath after his victory. However, Michelangelo portrayed his David before the battle rather than after the victory. He demonstrates reason; he isn't going to confront Goliath with raw strength, but rather with cunning and logic.
Michelangelo portrays him at the pinnacle of concentration as he considers the situation at hand. David's neck and his thigh muscles are tensed, his nostrils flared, and his brow furrowed in fear. He's about to leap into action with ease and fluidity. He is anxious, yet his look is calculated as he analyzes the battle before him.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The rock is buried within his right palm, the slingshot is balanced on his shoulder, and hangs virtually invisible down his back, emphasizing his intellectual success. Since the commission specified that the statue is seen from 80 meters below, Michelangelo, with all his knowledge of the human body from dissecting various cadavers, made the head and hands especially large so the proportions would fit when seen from below.
The pupils have been hollowed out to capture the changing light and heighten the depth of his stare. Michelangelo's fascination with human anatomy is evident in every detail. Take, for instance, David's bulging jugular vein. This only happens when people are nervous or fueled.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Over a century before scientists would define the cardiovascular system, Michelangelo grasped it. The veins in the lifted left hand is delicate, whereas the veins in the hanging right hand pulsate and are more clearly defined. This is exactly what happens to our own hands in the exact pose due to the way our blood circulates.
Source: Academia
Summing Up
David represents the power to overcome adversity, in the face of insurmountable odds. Michelangelo went on to create many masterpieces but his miraculous transformation of a shepherd boy into the physical embodiment of Florence proved to be a defining moment in his artistic career. He was an alchemist who turned marble into flesh and bone, and brought a psychological insight and physical realism to sculpture, never seen before.
Written By - Sanjana Chaudhary
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