A Comparative Analysis of the Statue of David, Essay Example

Bernini and Michelangelo sculptured the version of David’s. Notable several differences come to the mind of a person when comparing the sculpture of David between Bernini and Michelangelo’s work of art. The differences that are noted are the period, which it was sculptured, the size of the status and the time it was chosen.

Bernini and Michelangelo curved the sculpture of David at different periods and they both used different techniques to portray David as a hero. Bernini and Michelangelo sculptures are based on Biblical scriptures when David was in battle with Goliath. This represents David as a young hero considering he was young during his age. Bernini and Michelangelo have used marble as the construction material and chisel as the curving tool. However all the two sculptures are different from each other? The two sculptures are different in their mode of dressing and they have different postures. The two statues are located at different parts of Italy and the artists made their statues in different heights basing them in different moments of David participating in the battle.

The obvious difference it the difference in time when the artists decided to present their sculptures of David. The sculpture of Bernini is presented at the central part of the combat. He uses his sling in the process of defeating Goliath. The muscles around his legs are extremely close-fitted because he is moving forward (Abee 1). The arms and the chest appear to be tensed because he is gathering momentum to issue an authoritative blow with a rock in his sling. The activity of swinging his sling moves David’s robe backwards but Bernini captures this action earlier before exposing any nudity. Bernini’s statuette of David was curved during the Era of Baraque depicting the subject (Minsk 2)

Michelangelo places the sculpture of David in a great contraposition in the most beautiful Greek that represents the heroes. The right part of the work of art is smooth while the left part from the foot it active and dynamic (Sedaris 12). The muscles and tendons are developed to interpret strong will and not becoming an autonomous form. When the statue was completed it was placed in main square of the town. This was the first time that a large statue of nude was placed in public. Strength and wrath are the important virtues exhibited by the statue. These are the characteristics of the early patron in Hercules city. Michelangelo sculpture does not use traditional method where it presents David as a hero but he presents him as a youthful person who is getting magical power to proceed to the battle. The sculpture is based on the period when Israelites were afraid of Goliath and nobody dared to mock him.

 Works Cited

Abee, Holle. The Statue of David: Bernini vs. Michelangelo. 2009

Minsk. Comparative analysis of sculpture Policlet Doryphoros and sculpture by Donatello, David. 2000

Sedaris, David. Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules. New York: Simon and Schuster.