Today, many view man as corrupt and not in control of his own destiny. One of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance period, Michelangelo, incorporated mental insight, realism and passion in his work. One of Michelangelo’s sculptures rejects many modern misconceptions of men. The sculpture, David, is the story of a young boy who chose to fight a stronger opponent in order to save his people. While wearing no armor, he defeated Goliath using his bravery and skill. Compared to artwork during medieval times, David is a significant change. Michelangelo's David reveals elements of beauty and heroism. Many aspects of his life influence the effort put in his work. Born March 6th, 1475, Michelangelo is considered to be one of the greatest
…show more content…
The piece is an element of humanism because it portrays beauty within the human body. Constantly David is represented in society as the “magnificent projection of man at his best--vigorously healthy, beautiful, rational, competent. It expresses a heroic view of man and of a universe auspicious to his success” (Sandstead 1). Despite David being large and depicting a hero, his physical structure is comparable to the common man showing that anyone can be a “hero” through determination and intelligence. In classic readings, nudity reflected wealth and knowledge along with heroic and divine qualities. David is nude to show the people of Florentine understand that the human body is a gift that should not be …show more content…
“His brow is furrowed; the tendons in his neck are taut, as are the muscles in his nose and lips; and his eyes are focused on something in the distance. Despite this mental concentration, he stands in a relaxed contrapposto position, with his sling casually thrown over his left shoulder. This combination of intense expression and calm pose is intended to capture the short period between the decision to fight and the fight itself” (Collins 1). Michelangelo represents David not as a victor, but as a thinker when he had to choose between conscious choice and conscious action. He chose “to undertake great challenges in the face of seemingly impossible odds” (Sandstead 1). In the statue David, Michelangelo made his right hand bigger than the left to draw attention to the stone as a symbol of his courage and strength. David is a Renaissance piece and during that time there was a new age in thinking as well as art. The detail put into the piece became an astonishing view due to the preceding medieval period. In times past, all paintings and sculptures depicting the human form were shapeless, lacked detailed, and the hands and face were solely
The piece is an element of humanism because it portrays beauty within the human body. Constantly David is represented in society as the “magnificent projection of man at his best--vigorously healthy, beautiful, rational, competent. It expresses a heroic view of man and of a universe auspicious to his success” (Sandstead 1). Despite David being large and depicting a hero, his physical structure is comparable to the common man showing that anyone can be a “hero” through determination and intelligence. In classic readings, nudity reflected wealth and knowledge along with heroic and divine qualities. David is nude to show the people of Florentine understand that the human body is a gift that should not be …show more content…
“His brow is furrowed; the tendons in his neck are taut, as are the muscles in his nose and lips; and his eyes are focused on something in the distance. Despite this mental concentration, he stands in a relaxed contrapposto position, with his sling casually thrown over his left shoulder. This combination of intense expression and calm pose is intended to capture the short period between the decision to fight and the fight itself” (Collins 1). Michelangelo represents David not as a victor, but as a thinker when he had to choose between conscious choice and conscious action. He chose “to undertake great challenges in the face of seemingly impossible odds” (Sandstead 1). In the statue David, Michelangelo made his right hand bigger than the left to draw attention to the stone as a symbol of his courage and strength. David is a Renaissance piece and during that time there was a new age in thinking as well as art. The detail put into the piece became an astonishing view due to the preceding medieval period. In times past, all paintings and sculptures depicting the human form were shapeless, lacked detailed, and the hands and face were solely