Comparison of Three Sculptures - Essay Example

Comparison of Three Sculptures Comparison of Three Sculptures This essay will compare the different sculptures ofDavid created by Michelangelo, Bernini and Donatello. Bernini’s sculpture of David was done in 1623 and was life-size and made of marble (Sayre, 2010). On the other hand, Michelangelo’s interpretation of David was done between 1501 to 1504 (Sayre, 2010). It was also made of marble with a height of 13 ft and 5 inches. Donatello’s David was created between 1425 to 1430. It was made of bronze with a height of 62 ¼ inches (Sayre, 2010).

Bernini’s sculpture portrays David ready to hurl the stone from his sling. Michelangelo’s interpretation however shows David before his battle with Goliath. He carries his slingshot over his shoulder and is almost unnoticed. The expression on his face shows he is ready for battle. On the other hand, Donatello depicts David after his triumphant battle with Goliath. He is shown stepping over the head of Goliath. The masculinity of David is emphasized more in Bernini’s and Michelangelo’s sculpture as opposed to Donatello’s.

Bernini’s sculpture clearly shows the force and energy exerted by David as he launches the stone. The muscles in his legs give the impression of how his feet hold tightly on the ground to support the strain in his body’s stance. David’s skillful maneuver of his sling was perfectly interpreted by Bernini. One also observes the anger shown through David’s facial expression. Michelangelo’s sculpture of David shows a more relaxed David in contrast to Bernini’s. The contours of David’s physique seem flawless.

Michelangelo sculpted David’s body with preciseness, molding with perfection his bones, muscles and veins. As opposed to Bernini’s and Michelangelo’s interpretation of David, Donatello portrayed David in a very fragile physique, almost like a woman. It lacks masculinity, as if David was only in his teens. It does not seem to be a body of a well-developed man. Even the stance of David which presents him with his left arm on his waist is so unbecoming of a fighter, which is very unlike Bernini’s and Michelangelo’s image of David.

The saving grace of the masculinity of Donatello’s David is the lower part of the sculpture which shows David stepping over the head of Goliath. All three sculptures show how the interpretation of a subject can vary depending on the artist. The views, beliefs and backgrounds of the artists have an effect on their masterpieces. A single subject such as David can be interpreted in a number of ways depending on who is creating the art piece. But the uniqueness of each artwork is something which one can truly appreciate.

References(2010). Chapter 19 - The Renaissance through the Baroque. In H. M. Sayre, A World of Art (6th ed.) (pp. 452-453). Prentice Hall.(2010). Chapter 3 - Seeing the Value in Art. In H. M. Sayre, A World of Art (6th ed.) (p. 49). Prentice Hall .(2010). Chapter 7 - Other Formal Elements. In H. M. Sayre, A World of Art (6th ed.) (pp. 130- 131). Prentice Hall.