Michelangelo’s David
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When thinking of sculptures, one of the first that comes to mind is David. This statue was created of marble between 1501 and 1504 and stands over 14 feet high. David is a symbol that represents strength and anger. The statue had intended political connotations for the ruling of the Medici family. Michelangelo used David as model of “heroic courage” to demonstrate that “spiritual strength can be more effective than arms”. Michelangelo insisted that David should stand as a symbol of the republic and act as a warning that Florence shall be governed justly and bravely”. This was the first time since antiquity that a large nude statue be exhibited in a public place.
Michelangelos David is based on the artistic discipline of disegno. It is said that under this discipline, sculpture is considered to be the finest form of art because of how it mimics divine creation. Michelangelo worked under the premise that the image of David was already in the block of marble he was working on, in much the same way that the human soul is thought to be found within the physical body (Michelangelos David).
The splendor of the discipline of disegno. David was already in that untapped block of marble Michelangelo worked with. All that Michelangelo had to do was to find him. Its poetic and emotionally stimulating.
Michelangelo had studied anatomy early in his life. He worked on corpses to learn how the body worked. This was important in the creation of David because of the intricate details in Davids muscles and overall body appearance. The dedication to his creation is admirable. To study cadavers to perfect your craft to me is beautiful. Though David isnt perfectly anatomically correct (The upper part of his body is larger in scale than his lower) it was believe that this statue was intended to be place on a high pedestal in a church. So when one looks up, the body will seem perfectly proportional.
David is also an example of the classical humanism ideas. Classical humanism is based upon Greco-Roman ideas and foundations, a major part of which is the fascination with the human body. David is extremely buff, a quality that was highly revered during the Greek and Roman eras, and he shows off the male body very well. He is in a slight contraposto stance, where the artist illustrates the natural counterbalance of the body through the bending of the hips in one direction and the legs in another direction.
The well defined muscular build is the ideal form to our culture today. Personally I strive to better myself to be physically strong and muscular in appearance. Though David is a male model, he makes a gorgeous physical role model for me. His facial expression