The bright Renaissance after the gray Middle Ages became magnificent and unexpected. Ascetic stories gave way to stormy myths. Everyone is captivated by brave heroes. Michelangelo Buonarroti was no exception. “David” performed by him is a masterpiece of sculpture.
Ambitious talent
The Renaissance genius was born into an impoverished noble family. Due to a lack of funds, the boy was given to be raised by a nanny, whose family dealt in sculpting and stone carving. Later, the creator admitted that his childhood spent doing this activity influenced his choice of profession. The young man’s father was against such a future, but later reconciled himself and sent his son to study with the masters.
The guy's popularity came at lightning speed. His work was appreciated and serious orders were received. At the age of 24, Buonarroti created the Lamentation of Christ pieta, where he sincerely depicts Mary’s grief over the body of the dead Jesus. This work cemented his name in the world of sculpture.
The fame of the master reached the guild of merchants of Florence, who had long had the material for the statue of David to rise. Michelangelo was young and energetic. Having received the order, he happily set to work.
Birth of a Hero
At first, the sculpture was exclusively religious in nature. The Old Testament king was to become one of the twelve figures decorating the temple of Santa Maria del Fiore. But political events changed these intentions. The power of the Medici tyrants was temporarily overthrown. Therefore, it was decided that this work would become a symbol of struggle and victory. This is exactly the idea the author wanted to implement. Michelangelo's "David" is made from a monolithic block of marble, which was brought from the city of Carrara. But Buonarroti was not the first to work on this piece. In 1460, the material was hewn by Agostino di Duccio. Donatello was supposed to work next, but his death delayed the delivery plan.
The following craftsmen, for certain reasons, were unable to bring the customers' plans into reality. The marble lay in the temple courtyard for several years. Unprotected from climatic influences, it began to deteriorate and collapse. Only in 1501 they decided to finish the project. Thus, the 26-year-old master found himself in the hands of a block from which the sculpture of David was to be born. Michelangelo began work on September 13 of that year.
History of the figure
The basis was the biblical myth of courage and justice. The statue depicts a young man preparing for an important battle. History tells that the Philistines - an army of unbelievers - attacked the kingdom of Israel. In the enemy army there was a giant whose name was Goliath. Well armed and invincible, he inspired fear with just his appearance. The future king David came out against the strongman. The young man refused armor and a heavy sword. He was armed with a sling, with which he could throw stones. The one who survives the duel will bring complete victory to the country.
The statue of David reflects the thoughts before the fight. Michelangelo recreated the emotional state of the young man. The king takes aim and considers the current situation. His gaze is concentrated, his lips are compressed, his forehead is wrinkled. The body is in noticeable tension. Hands in veins that really seem to flow hot blood. On perfect body muscles stand out. IN right palm the hero clutched the stone, the sling thrown over his left shoulder.
Avoiding the rules
Buonarroti is not just a genius of his time, but a true innovator. His work stood out from the rest. For example, the final battle between the king of Israel and the giant Goliath was previously depicted. The defeated enemy lay at the feet of the young man. David stood proudly over the body of the defeated man. But this master decided that the scene that shows the emotions before the fight would be more emotional, and he was not mistaken. It is worth noting that Michelangelo's David is completely naked, although none of the sources reported the hero's nudity. Usually the young man was simply without armor. The myth also says that the guy was carrying a bag from which he took out a stone. Our David’s palms are empty.
The posture of the left hand was forced. It was bent this way because the marble was previously upholstered in exactly this shape, so there was no other way out than to depict the hero with a bent elbow.
Anatomy inaccuracies
Particular attention is paid to movement. It seems that Michelangelo's David is about to begin to act, to attack the enemy. The raised left heel makes the sculpture dynamic. There is a feeling that tense hands are crushing a stone. The hero is closely watching an enemy invisible to us.
The public immediately fell in love with the young man. But there were also plenty of negative reviews addressed to the master. It is known that the author studied anatomy for a long time. His knowledge in this area was limitless. Yet many critics noted that the knight's back was missing one muscle. The disproportionately large head and huge hands were also surprising. But it is worth noting here that Michelangelo’s sculpture of David was originally intended for a niche in the cathedral, located at a height. Then the audience would look up at the statue, and the defect would create a realistic effect. First of all, the author sought artistic aesthetics.
David's scars
At one time it was the largest statue in the world. Its height is 5.17 meters. Weight reaches 6 tons. A lot of effort had to be made to transport her to her destination. Several envious people threw stones at the figure during transportation, for which they were sent to prison.
But work later damaged by vandals. During the riots of 1527, from the windows of the Palazzo Vecchio, the youth who occupied the premises threw furniture onto the soldiers. So, Michelangelo's David was wounded in the arm. One of the benches knocked off his wrist. The next day, Giorgio Vasari assembled all the parts and glued them back together. It was not possible to fit the pieces perfectly; noticeable lines remained in two places.
In 1991, a barbarian used a hammer to knock off several pieces of marble from the toes of his left foot. The vandal was captured. Weather conditions also caused irreparable damage to the sculpture. The inept restoration also played a cruel joke.
There are versions that Michelangelo's David to a greater extent an Italian, not an Israelite, since the young man is not circumcised. This was the reason why Jerusalem refused the copy of the statue that the Florentines gave as a gift.
Despite any vicissitudes of fate, a real work of art is the work of Michelangelo (“David”). The description of the statue is short story Renaissance.
The five-meter statue of a young man, the ancient Israeli king David, amazes viewers even today, when the world has become accustomed to gigantic structures. However, a catchy glance is not able to appreciate the true skill of the artist. A sculptor who cuts a block of marble of this size and transforms it into the proportions of an ideal human body must certainly have excellent visual memory: after all, at any given moment only a small part of the entire figure is before his eyes.
It must be said that the artist needed to depict the figure of David as if in motion, using a classic dynamic pose - contrapposto. At the same time, to enhance the artistic effect, Michelangelo resorted to distorting the real proportions of the body, even eliminating “extra” muscles. What Michelangelo created almost single-handedly is now being explored by scientists using technology and computer modeling. It is clear that Michelangelo’s “David” is deservedly included among the most significant creations of human genius.
Even during the life of the great master, there were many legends and anecdotes about this figure. Many of them are given in his biography written by Vasari. For example, they said that the head of the Florentine Republic did not like the nose of “David”, saying it was too long, and he asked Michelangelo to shorten it; the sculptor pretended to shorten the nose, although in fact he did nothing; but the head of the republic this time said: “Now it’s normal!” All this, of course, is a legend.
Another similar legend tells that a giant block of marble, on which the previous sculptor worked, after his death began to be considered spoiled and was preparing to be thrown away; Michelangelo allegedly bought it for next to nothing, and then surprised the world with the finished sculpture. But this story at least partially corresponds to reality: the statue, begun long before Michelangelo, nicknamed the Giant, actually stood idle for a long time - the masters who took it on died.
The main one was Duccio, Donatello’s student; Donatello himself also had to take part in the creation of “David”. Be that as it may, the great Florentines of the past were unable to complete their creation, leaving a pile of marble to get wet in the rain in the square near the cathedral. But then the city authorities wanted to continue working on the statue, for which they had previously invited a whole group of experts. Among these experts was Leonardo. They all found the block suitable for work. The creation of the work was entrusted to Michelangelo, who had already begun to gain fame in the republic.
Michelangelo himself said that he was literally at war with his statue: “David,” they say, is armed with a sling, and I, Michelangelo, with a bow. It's all about the sculptor's name, which translated means “Archangel Michael.” But there was also rivalry with the legendary Israeli king in this work: David defeated Goliath with a sling, and the Archangel Michael fought with Satan himself with a bow. Perhaps Michelangelo felt that both of them - he and his hero, each for his part, were fighting against the forces of evil.
IN modern era, starting from the 19th century, “David,” like many other masterpieces of the Renaissance, became an object of kitsch and commercial culture: numerous “copies” and “variations” of Michelangelo’s masterpiece, photo, painting and graphic works exploiting the creation of the great master are created.
Religious or civil sculpture?
The Florentines appreciated the civic message of the David sculpture almost immediately. Therefore, only a few insisted that the statue remain near the cathedral: most people agreed that it should be moved to the building where the government council met.
The figure of David has long been associated among the Florentines with the independence and power of their republic. Before Michelangelo, other great Florentine masters created sculptures of this young man.
- One of them is Verrocchio’s sculpture “David,” for which, according to legend, Leonardo himself posed. This is a bronze statue with a peculiar half-smile on its face, which Leonardo himself would later fall in love with.
- The other statue belongs to Donatello. It's already marble. In it, Donatello, who worked in two styles - “realistic” and “classical”, came to a certain compromise, creating a work that was quite sublime and at the same time original, not copying ancient statues.
All of Michelangelo's predecessors depicted David triumphant after the battle. Michelangelo brought a new iconographic appearance of the young man, depicting him preparing for battle. His facial expression is quite calm, but his muscles are tense. David - a model of the nude male body, radiating strength and power; only thinness and disproportionate big hands They tell the viewer that this is just a young man.
In the 20th century, the authorities of Jerusalem refused to accept a copy of the statue from the Florentines, since in Michelangelo’s work David is not circumcised, and indeed is depicted as a young Italian of the 16th century.
If the paintings and sculptures of Michelangelo Buonarroti, with their predominantly civil message and realism, were generally favorably received high society society - rich townspeople, nobles and church leaders, then the work of his later namesake, Michelangelo Caravaggio, the public refused to accept, rejecting in every possible way: they said, for example, that religious paintings by Caravaggio were not carried out according to church canons.
Caravaggio also strove for unbridled realism, but his realism was not sublime: the artist seemed to expose the most unsightly sides of reality. The sublime in Caravaggio is quite “low”; Thus, the painting in which the Evangelist Matthew is depicted in the guise of a peasant caused particular indignation among the public. It seems that people are tired of playing with reality, or they realized too quickly that reality is not quite the same as in the works of the Renaissance masters. Caravaggio, who worked in the Baroque era, differed from his contemporaries not only in his tireless pursuit of realism, but also in his sharp contrast of light and shadow.
Video: Sculpture. Michelangelo's David
Many consider the statue of David to be the most beautiful and impressive work of the “Renaissance era”. Now the original statue is installed in Florence at the Academy of Fine Arts. Latest restoration this creation by Michelangelo Buonarroti was held in 2003 and now you can see it by visiting the academy building.
In this article we will talk about the statue itself, how to get to the Academy of Fine Arts and why the biblical David has become one of the symbols of Florence.
In 1504, when the work was completed, the statue turned out to be so beautiful that there was controversy about where to install it. Initially they planned to install it next to the Florence Cathedral, but many realized that it would be wiser to place it on central square. The statue had not only religious, but also political significance.
David, who defeated the giant warrior Goliath with just one sling shot, was very close to the people of Florence. The city-republic of Florence was a small but proud country that was constantly under threat of invasion by much stronger rivals. France threatened from the north, and the Papal States from the south. Now you understand why the image of David was so popular in the works of art of Florentine authors.
There were many adventures with the statue; it went through several restorations, which we will talk about at the end of this article.
How to get to the Academy of Fine Arts, where the statue of David is located.
Unfortunately, there is no metro in Florence, and the main transport in the city is the bus. The Academy is located in the very center of the city, right at the intersection of main routes. It is very likely that one of the buses going to the academy stops near your hotel.
Look for buses with numbers 6, 14, 19, 23 and 31, they need to get to the stop “Ss. Annunziata - Istituto Degli Innocent.” Or take buses 1, 11, 17, 19, 52, 54, 82, C1 or G to the stop "Ricasoli - Gran Caffe" San Marco".
A ticket at the box office costs (at the time of writing) 6.5 euros, which for Italy can be considered a very “democratic” price.
What to look for when viewing the Statue of David.
The first strong impression you will get even without our advice will come from the size of the statue. Of course, everyone’s impressions of viewing works of art are different; we understand that all this is very subjective. The statue has a height of 5.16 meters and the stand also raises it by 20 centimeters. The biblical hero looks majestic.
Agree, not all items large size make a strong impression on people, there is a difference between something that is simply big and something that seems grandiose. The statue of David by Michelangelo Buonarroti good example in the second case, it does not have gigantic dimensions, but it looks impressive.
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The second thing to notice is David's view. He is tense as he prepares to fight the mighty Goliath. According to legend, Goliath was not just big, but simply a huge warrior. His height was 2.7 meters. Most likely this is an error in the translation of ancient measures of length or simply a deliberate embellishment of the victory that ancient world did not disdain. Let us recall that David emerged victorious from this battle, hitting Goliath with a single shot from his sling. On the statue he is depicted with this weapon. This sculpture is different from many others depicting this subject. Usually, David is depicted after the victory, and Michelangelo showed the hero before the fight. |
And don’t forget that the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence contains many more interesting things besides the famous creation of Michelangelo.
“Adventures” and restoration of the statue of David.
The first “adventure” happened with the statue while it was being transported to the Palazzo Vecchio. A group of supporters of the overthrown Medici dynasty tried to damage the sculpture, but nothing good came of it. The second danger threatened the statue already in 1512 when lightning struck the base; fortunately, there was no damage to the statue itself.
In 1527, during the uprising, the statue was badly damaged, as supporters of the republic took refuge in the Palazzo Vecchio and threw stones and even furniture at the enemy. The sculpture was damaged left hand and a sling. After the riots subsided, the statue was restored.
In 1843, it was decided to restore the statue, since 350 years of being in the open air had severely damaged it. appearance. The methods of 19th century restorers were simply terrible. Acid and cutting tools were used and the top layer of marble was simply removed.
A comprehensive restoration was carried out in 2003, and now in Florence you can see David at its best.
Have a good time visiting Florence and read our materials about Italy on the website ( links can be found below).
The young shepherd David, who struck the huge Philistine warrior Goliath with a sling stone, has long inspired sculptors. But there are four masterpieces created by the best of the best...
"David" by Donatello, between 1430 and 1440
The bronze statue of David by Renaissance sculptor Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi (Donatello) is the first upright nude figure since antiquity.
The young man David has already defeated Goliath, his foot rests on the head of a huge warrior. The future king stands with his head almost coquettishly lowered in a shepherd's hat with a laurel wreath, as if there had not just been a great battle between him and the giant Goliath. David seems vulnerable, the nudity only emphasizes this. In one hand David holds a stone, in the other - the sword of Goliath, with which he cut off the head of his enemy.
"David" Verrocchio, 1462-1477
Sculptor Andrea Verrocchio's David almost repeats the pose of Donatello's David, but this boy is not modest or self-absorbed. David Verrocchio is self-confident, playful and mischievous. He is clearly proud of having defeated such an opponent and is celebrating the victory.
"David" by Michelangelo, 1501-1504
Michelangelo began sculpture when he was twenty-six years old. The sculptor took on a huge block of marble, which several of his predecessors could not cope with.
Michelangelo's marble "David" is a symbol of the Renaissance. Unlike the “Davids” of Donatello and Verrocchio, Michelangelo’s hero has not yet accomplished his feat. He is focused and tense, he is directed forward and collected, and this concentration is not so much physical as spiritual.
"David" by Michelangelo Buonarroti stands in the Galleria dell'Accademia fine arts in Florence.
"Davids" by Donatello, Verrocchio and Michelangelo have many copies. In the Italian courtyard of the Museum fine arts named after A.S. Pushkin you can see all three sculptures.
"David" by Bernini, 1623
Masters not only of the Renaissance, but also of the Baroque were inspired by the personality of David. Baroque sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini carved a furious David from marble, swinging a sling. The figure of David, depicted as a strong youth, twists in a powerful movement. Emotions are read unmistakably: anger, concentration, tension and confidence in victory. Bernini's David is now in Rome's Galleria Borghese.
Rita Zheleznyakova
Sculptor, painter and part-time poet Michelangelo Buonarroti.
He is the greatest creator and inimitable master of the Renaissance, which elevated man to a leading position, making him
A striking example, illustrating the idea and flow of that era, is the five-meter statue of David, which became a symbol of the entire Florentine Republic and is an ideal in the art of the Renaissance and human genius.
The masterpiece of architecture was first presented in September 1504 in Florence, on the famous Piazza della Signoria. Today, the great sculpture is on display at the Florence Academy of Fine Arts.
The masculinity and concentration in the face of David conceals incredible nobility and strength, and physical beauty is reflected in the powerful torso, ideally designed arms and legs of the hero.
The statue of David was created in 1501, when the author needed to create a biblical hero from a huge block of marble, damaged by the master Simone. Michelangelo's amazing ability to extract maximum expression from stone has borne fruit. After drawing up hundreds of sketches of the future sculpture, making a clay model of the statue, overcoming difficult weather conditions and high competition, the brilliant sculptor created a truly incredible masterpiece. was completed in 1504.
The work is initially embedded in stone, the main task is to be able to extract it.