Michelangelo's Proportionsdavid Analysis

Cherry 3inside of the human body had to do so almost in secret” (Shaikh and Leonard-Amodeo). Michelangelo viewed and studied dead bodies, going against the established social norms of the time in order to gain knowledge about the human form. Michelangelo’s desire for knowledge surpassed his desire to conform, and this is a perfect example of what the Renaissance truly stood for. Due to Michelangelo’s unprecedented access to the actual dissection of human anatomy, he became enthralled with musculature, limb proportions, and physical features of the body that he attracted the attention of the medical world for providing accurate models of human anatomy. Since Michelangelo was a perfectionist when it came to the human anatomy, the imperfections …show more content…
The sculpture was, after all, intended to be placed at the top of a church where no one could closely examine David’s physical features. Even so, Michelangelo’s deep understanding of the human body grasps the viewer’s attention at first glance. For example, although the abdominal structure on David is tight, the inferior part of the pelvis bulges, depicting the type of realistic occurrence present even in the most athletic body after a big meal or before a battle. Next, there is also evidence that Michelangelo heeded the classical naturalists in the manner that David’s weight rests naturally on his right leg in a contrapposto stance, his veins are visible, his hips have shifted weight with one being higher than the other, his spine and midsection curve, and his right shoulder falls below the left shoulder (“Michelangelo’s David”). The fact that there is perfection in all of these anatomical elements is proof that Michelangelo intentionally sculpted naturalistically. The statue is representative of the idea that all humans are fundamentally