High Renaissance painter, sculptor, and architect Michelangelo Buonarroti transformed how art was seen in the West. The Italian sculptor Michelangelo produced the marble monument known as “David” between 1501 and 1504. Michelangelo portrayed David in a manner that was accurate and detailed, bringing him closer to the average person in our everyday lives. Although the statue is 5.17 meters tall, a man could only reach a little above 2 meters (Masi et al. 7).
David is nearly twice as big as him, which denotes his skill and inspires adoration for him. In many respects, Michelangelo’s David may serve as a metaphor for humanism in the Renaissance. It explains a lot, from its placement to the way each stone size is sculpted. First and foremost, this work of art emphasizes logic as a critical quality. The sculpture’s depiction of a person contemplating something and seeming worried was meant to represent David’s mental state before engaging in physical combat with Goliath.
The marble of Michelangelo portrays David as an adult and a typical ancient Greek hero. As he prepares to face Goliath, he is molded to extreme physical perfection and with confidence. In Michelangelo’s representation, David has not yet faced Goliath but is mentally preparing for the combat and maybe gazing ahead at the difficulty he will confront. The sculpture exudes assurance of his trust in God. He is carrying his sling over his shoulder and looks to be playing with the stone in his right hand. His attention is pointed upon Goliath, indicating that he is assessing Goliath, is displeased and shows no signs of fear.
Michelangelo’s magnificent work may represent the force and beauty of humanism, but it is a distinctively Christian humanism within the Catholic setting. Indeed, Christian humanism blossomed throughout the Renaissance which is rooted in the belief that man was formed in God’s image. Renaissance philosophers were unafraid to praise the potential of Adam’s race strengthened by grace. If the Philistinism of the world surrounding them sometimes intimidates the creative conservative, they might turn to David, who frowns in the direction of Goliath, preparing to aim his sling (Toledo 38).
If people, who strive hard to educate the young, conserve old wisdom, promote the arts, and sow the seeds of a new Christendom get tired in their efforts, they might take comfort from Michelangelo’s muscular Christianity. They sense not just the beauty of power but also the strength of innocence in David. It is visible what Christian humanism can do in the sculpture and the idea that God constantly uses the tiny things of the world to confuse the great.
Works Cited
Masi, F., et al. Michelangelo’s David or Aphrodite of Milos: Who is more resistant to blast loads?. HSTAM International Congress on Mechanics. University of Cyprus, Thessaloniki, Greece. 2019. Web.
Toledo, John. “Michelangelo’s David.” The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide. 2018. pp 38-39. Web.