Compare and contract micheloangelo david and bernini's david - Essay Example

During the Renaissance period, people rediscovered the skill and knowledge of the ancient worlds of Greece and Rome. The lessons learned from the ancients contributed significantly to the technical developments in ‘realistic’ painting that emerged during this period through the efforts of a variety of famous artists including Masaccio, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. As the period waned, Baroque artists such as Caravaggio, Rubens and Bernini focused more upon natural expression, form and emotion in their work.

By comparing representative works of sculpture from each of these two periods, such as “David” by Michelangelo and “David” by Bernini, one can get a sense of the difference between Renaissance and Baroque art and attitudes as well as an understanding of why these different approaches can sometimes be confused. Michelangelo's David was created over a space of three years - from 1501 until 1503 - and was carved out of a solid block of Carrera marble. The figure of David stands more than 17 feet tall and shows him in contrapposto stance.

This means that his back leg is straight and obviously is supporting most of his weight while his front leg is slightly bent with the foot resting on the ground for balance. This was a favorite position for Greek and Roman statuary, which is what Michelangelo was trying to replicate using Biblical instead of mythological figures. This pose tends to throw the hips out of alignment, forcing one up and out and the other down and in, which is seen in this statue. At the same time, his right shoulder dips slightly down toward his out-thrust hip and his head twists to look over his slightly raised left shoulder.

Michelangelo's David is completely nude and stands with his sling resting back over his left shoulder as if he is sizing up his enemy for the stone throw that will bring him victory. His left hand supports the sling near his shoulder while his right hand is held tensely down by his thigh. His hand is bent in a way that suggests he could be holding the stone he intends to use. David's chin is slightly down, causing his eyes to glare out from under a wavy abundance of bangs hanging over his forehead and he appears ready for the battle about to begin.

Bernini's David was created more than a century later, carved out of marble during a seven month period from 1623 to 1624. This statue is life-sized and shows David in a moment of action, just as he is about to let his stone fly. His stance can best be described as mid-leap although both feet have contact with the ground. His hips and head face forward, but his upper body is twisted around to the side with one arm behind him as he gets ready to launch his missile. Although he is not nude, there is a great deal of musculature visible in his frame, such as in the lines of his exposed legs and the muscles of his stomach where the light fabric of his garment clings to his body.

Whether this is because it is wet with the sweat of his fear in facing the giant or because it is being pressed to his body because of the wind of his motions is unclear. It might even be simply because Bernini wanted to demonstrate a fine physique in his character. The muscles of his upper body seem almost alive as they ripple over his rib cage and through his chest while the fabric of his garment bunches around his upper thighs and hips and fastens over his