The Statue Of David: Bernini And The Baroque Era

The subject of this next SLP will be the statue of David. While researching Bernini and the Baroque era, I discovered that he too, had sculpted a statue of David and that it was considered a ground breaking piece. Through my readings I discovered that aside from Michelangelo and Bernini, that Donatello had rendered his own version of David also. Donatello and Michelangelo were both Renaissance artists and their statues were of course influenced by the style of the period. My focus is going to be on Bernini’s concept of David, how it ties into the Baroque theme and my reactions to the work.
The Baroque Period can be defined as an era characterized as being emotionally charged, visually stimulating with vibrant colorful contrasts, strong dramatic movement and heavenly inspiration. In this respect I feel that Bernini captures the essence of the Baroque period by providing a visually charged version of David. …show more content…
We see a visually impressive figure arching, flexing with his eye squarely fixed on a target out of view. The diagonal lines of his marble sculpture help promote the feeling of movement and action. The implied presence of Goliath nearby gives me the feeling that this dramatic sculpture is just one piece of the bigger picture, one half of the action. Consequently, the space between David and his foe is charged with energy. So much so that, I imagine, if you were standing in front of this statue your initial reaction would be to get out of the