David Sculpture by Donatello: Analysis

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Summary
Identification of Visual Elements
Identification of Design Principles
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

David by Donatello (Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi) is a legendary Renaissance sculpture that holds its historical significance as being the first known free-standing statue created since antiquity. Donatello is a classical Renaissance sculpture who used classical sculpture to develop new styles of his period. Donatello’s most prominent creation is the bronze David, representing a metaphor for the victory of moral values over cruelty and irrationality. The statue is dated back to the early Renaissance between 1430 and 1469. Donatello’s work may be subjected to the High Renaissance Sculpture style. Cosimo de’ Medici ordered it for the courtyard of his Palazzo Medici. The statue is now standing in the Bargello museum in Florence, Italy.

Summary

David – the protagonist of a statue, was prototyped after the hero of the biblical story in the Book of Samuel David and Goliath. In the tale, young and weak at first sight David defeats a Philistine giant Goliath on his first try. David is initially a young shepherd who first rose to prominence as a singer before killing the Philistine champion, Goliath. He becomes King Saul’s favorite and a close friend of Saul’s son Jonathan. David is eventually elected king of all of Israel, conquers Jerusalem, making it his capital and bringing the Ark of the Covenant into the city to serve as the Israelite religion’s center of worship.

Therefore, David is a prominent Biblical figure representing the humbleness and persistence on the life pat, proving that wittiness and intelligence are the greatest assets of all. The fact that a miniature young shepherd with a sling could defeat a massive, experienced warrior with the best weaponry is an excellent metaphor that each person is only as strong as he thinks. Thus, the man was depicted in multiple art installations, and the literature symbol of David became a cult that, with Donatello not being an exception.

The depiction accuracy of Donatello’s David may be discussed from various points. Initially, he took inspiration for the statue’s design from illustrations found on Greek vases, with Brunelleschi’s impact also evident. The sculpture did not significantly deviate from the Biblical depiction of David. However, in the story, David is introduced as an average young man; Donatello chose to make him a child due to several reasons. Goliath’s head lies at David’s feet, and he is depicted as almost godlike, which highlights the significant deviance between the two protagonists. Such a choice was made to represent David’s superiority despite his size and age.

Notwithstanding David’s size, he seems to express power as Donatello needs people to realize humanity’s strength. He does not want people to forget that they are the ones who created cultures and societies. What prevents mankind from conquering life itself, the sculptor conveys, if little David can destroy a giant? For humanity, this statue is a sign of confidence and faith depicted through David’s inner strength despite the appearance of a weak child.

Identification of Visual Elements

Donatello’s David has a unique composition, where each element has its own special meaning to the whole sculpture. The tree-stump, the nudity, and the contrapposto pose contribute to this work’s Humanist context of antique emulation. Donatello has softened the rigid balance and assertive stance of the conventional male figure while recalling the classical contrapposto pose in the tradition of Polyclitus’ Doryphoros (Schneider 214). The positioning of the two hands, as well as David’s free leg peacefully resting on Goliath’s head, demonstrate this softening. Furthermore, the boy’s nakedness suggests the existence of God, comparing the youth with the heavily-armored giant.

The David is almost entirely bare as depicted by Donatello with only is hat being a distinctive clothing attribute. It attracts a lot of attention to his nakedness, highlighting the striking appearance of the head accessory (Kamins). The addition of a hat was an iconographic divergence that sparked numerous debates. While David was often depicted with a garland, Donatello’s bronze David has a distinctive cap. The hat reminds us that David portrays a commonplace drama that contemporaries would have remembered. The hat implied by contemporaries as a call for sex, as in those times men pursuing sodomitical sex would swipe the hats of attractive boys and refuse to return them unless they yielded to their advances.

The tree-stump, like Goliath’s head in previous depictions of David, is considered vital to the history of Donatello’s David; here, it symbolizes Christ’s genealogy as a descendant of the Davidic bloodline. Goliath’s head is laid at his feet like a trophy of triumph, with a sword and a hat, and he is still seen at the end of his heroic act. The trophy head also symbolizes a decision to forego brute force in favor of other, more introspective facets of the legend (Kamins). Another interpretation of Goliath’s head under David’s feet is that Donatello was attempting to convey to humanity that man can overcome everything. They are physically capable and possess sufficient willpower. For people, this statue is a sign of strength and hope.

Identification of Design Principles

Donatello’s David is a perfect example of Renaissance naturalism and highly realistic in terms of dimensions. As he stands with one foot atop Goliath’s decapitated head, his body appears proportionat. His small stature and almost effeminate demeanor suggest that he won thanks to God’s help. However, he wields a sword that seems to be enormous in comparison to his frame, and this is the only part of the statue that seems to be out of proportion.

There is one prominent feature that draws attention to the naked posture of David: the hat. His huge hat, which was originally decorated with a feather, attracts almost as much attention to his nakedness as his naked body does to this contemporary headdress. The addition of a hat was a stylistic departure. Many scholars believe David’s floppy hat was a coded reference to a seduction ruse in which Florentine men would snatch the hats of boys they liked on the street and refuse to return them unless the object of their desire decided to gratify them (Schneider). Nevertheless, it is unclear if such emphasis was intended or not.

The design of Donatello’s David also contains a significant contrast of concepts. The previously mentioned simultaneously muscular and heroic David is also portrayed in a feminine form, as his pose reflects. David has defeated Goliath not by physical prowess but by God, as evidenced by the statue’s stature and the massive sword in his possession (Schneider 213). The sword significantly stands out in the picture due to its size and emphasis on the physical power, which the depicted young man visibly does not possess. Therefore, these contrasting design choices outstandingly make a clear statement of spiritual authority over physical.

Conclusion

Through the depiction of David, Donatello managed to convey various symbols and messages to the public. The bronze “David” by Donatello is thought to represent either humanity’s victory over savagery or the Medici family’s political dominance in Florence and Milan over business rivals. I tend to rely on the first theory, as the sculpture demonstrates the triumph of spirituality over blind pride.

Donatello conveyed the message through David’s pose, and most importantly, Goliath’s head under his feet that exemplified David conquered the man. In my opinion, Donatello did a successful job depicting this moral story and honoring the Biblical tale. The work makes me reevaluate certain concepts and start appreciating intelligence over physical strength. It reminds me that being smart is much more valuable than being physically strong. Therefore, I like this sculpture due to ita unconventional depiction of David and the presence of many hidden senses that still remain unsolved and, therefore, consider it an invaluable asset of art history.

Works Cited

Kamins, Joshua. Among the Prophets: Michelangelo’s David. 2015.

Schneider, Laurie. “Donatello’s Bronze David.” The Art Bulletin, vol. 55, no. 2, June 1973, p. 213-216, Web.

Click Here To Order Now!