Italian Renaissance Art Analysis
The piece of art I am choosing to analyze is Michelangelo's David statue. This statue, created from Carrara marble between 1501 - 1504, is 5.6 meters (16' 11.5"). This piece belongs to the Italian Renaissance part of history and is an example of symbolism. The story of David and Goliath has been in my life since birth, because I was born and raised into Catholicism, and it has always been an enjoyable story to me. If you are unfamiliar with it, you should definitely check it out; unfortunately, this post is not totally about the story but about the artwork that came from it. Although, some of us can relate to this story in such a way where we know being strong is not always about our physical strength, but about the amount of heart we put behind our actions. The story behind this statue teaches us that when approaching a challenge in our lives, it is important to think of ourselves as bigger than the problem we face.
An art element I found not in this piece is color. Instead of color, I think, it is more of a shade (gray-ish white). An art element I found in this piece is value, this sculpture is a high light on the value scale (or a 9). Another art element I found is form, which is Michelangelo's depiction of David. The statue's form in height is 5.6 meters and in width is about 6.5 feet. Lastly, its texture looks very smooth and the lines in the sculpture, that makes up the abdomen for example, are incredible. This piece of art is absolutely amazing and the story behind it is just as grand.
The statue of David is connected to humanism, because of how life-like it is. Michelangelo always had a focus on human anatomy and making his art look so realistic. He truly was an incredible artist and his art will always be remembered, especially through catholic churches and the Accademia Gallery in Florence, Italy.
His David is a really great representation of humanism values during the high renaissance. His asymmetrical pose looks more interactive, and with an amusing understanding of the human anatomy that David looks as if he's alive. The veins and detailed muscles make me believe he's breathing right there in front of me.
ReplyDeleteRebecca,
ReplyDeleteI think some would be worried about using this image due to the statue's details, but I am glad that you chose this for this assignment. I was unfamiliar with the story of David and Goliath and the importance of this statue. Although, after reading the information you included in your blog about this artwork, I admire this statue. You mentioned the art lacks color, I agree, but I also think it's essential for the figure not to have tons of color so that other details stand out. Being that this art is capturing the man's strength, the characteristics of his toned arms and torso are essential.
In your last paragraph, you mentioned how this stature is connected to Humanism due to the figures' anatomy. Although, I think Humanism is the idea of capturing a mentality.