112AH Ren Modern Art Syllabus Fall 2017: Michelangelos David Sculpture

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Michelangelo’s David Sculpture
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was born in 1475, and has been accredited by various authors as one of the greatest artists during his lifetime, and one of the greatest since the beginning of the Renaissance. Notably, Michelangelo is well documented, and his works have been of significance important in art history. In this light, Michelangelo is without a doubt one of the most inspirational and talented artists since the Renaissance to modern art. The artist was active during the Renaissance period when there were significant changes in various aspects of life and culture in religion, politics, and scientific domains. Following these influences, Michelangelo became a fervent advocate of the emerging philosophy, and his efforts made him a fundamental player, leading the Italian Renaissance. Like many artists of the Renaissance period, including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo engaged in artwork from a humanistic approach (Emison 972). He was interested in presenting the defining form, considering the increased influence of religion during that period. The artist was primarily focused on precise details and captured emotions with each piece of work. He worked as a painter and sculpture, which portrays his talent and brilliance in art.
The statue of David that was created by Michelangelo is one of the most famous art pieces in the world from the Renaissance period, which has become a key artist attraction in Italy. The sculpture of David was commissioned by Arte della Lana, who had the responsibility of decorating the Cathedral in Florence. The art piece was developed from a marble block that had been prepared by Agostino di Duccio, but never completed it. Michelangelo worked on the statue between 1501 and 1504, and it stands at 4.34 meters tall. The statue was inspired by King David, a Biblical figure from the Old Testament, who is a critical person in Christianity. There were many controversies that span many decades surrounding the completion of the art piece (Partridge 50). Nevertheless, Michelangelo was able to complete it as a masterpiece that is recognized and appreciated across the globe. The artist took a different approach in presenting David, contrary to the traditional approach that portrayed him as a hero. The statue shows David as a nude figure, which according to different accounts, presents the best description of the Biblical King David compared to other creations by people such as Bernini and Donatello. Prior to creating David, Michelangelo had been involved in carving the Pieta in Rome during the late 1490s, where he developed his talent as a sculptor and gained the knowledge that led him to be commissioned to carve the Biblical David. Michelangelo had a challenge in making that statue because it had been worked on by another artist, and it had been exposed to the extremes of weather for a long period. Subsequently, it was up to his skills and experience to develop a comprehensive artwork from what was provided (Falletti 5).
  In the statue, David is depicted patiently waiting for battle with a slingshot one hand and a stone in the other. Michelangelo presents David with a very muscular physique, with veins visible in his arms...