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Larger Than Life Statue By A Larger Than Life Sculptor

When you look at this statue, what do you see? No doubt you are looking at the single most recognized sculpture in all of human history. Show a photo of the Renaissance sculpture to anybody, even a young child, and I’m sure they’ll be able to tell you at least the title, if not the sculptor. Is there another statue that epitomizes the beauty of the human body like this? Is there such a stone, marble, or block of clay which exhibits such precise human anatomy?

This statue is the achievement of a lifetime for Florentine artist Michelangelo Bounarotti and the high point of an enlightened period of history. It is David, the biblical king, who slew the giant Goliath.

A Young Shepherd Who Became King

David, the Israelite, son of Jesse, was a young man of not much consequence who guarded his father’s sheep. By chance he ended up in the service of King Saul to play the harp, because he was very gifted musically, to soothe the king when he was mentally tormented by demons. When the Israelites are in camp, facing the dreadful armies of the Philistines, David simply brings food for his brothers and the king.

A champion of gargantuan proportions came to the front lines to challenge the Israelites in single one on one combat to decide the battle. Of course, the enemy forces were confident in their soon victory and the home camp didn’t know what to do. David, overhearing this rises to the challenge with an idea. The boy, being the youngest son of Jesse, was not thought of as a fierce warrior. So when the king heard David’s claims, he laughed at first, but reluctantly allowed the match, seeing no other choice.

The enemy forces at once erupted in laughter when the saw the young and slender shepherd boy accepting the challenge of the giant. The fight, however, did not take long, after the boy produces a simple sling and stone. With one sure shot he fired the projectile and hit the giant between the eyes, sure and true, killing the warrior instantly. Before the monster could hit the ground the enemies were fleeing in fear, thus securing the Israelite victory. David is hailed as a hero, made a commander of men, and wins many victories as well as the hearts of the people, eventually landing himself in the throne.

Recreating the Biblical David

During the Renaissance we saw a return to classical themes, to include many biblical stories. The story of David and Goliath is a popular one in art history and has been reproduced by painters and sculptors alike. After the Renaissance the painter Caravaggio would repeatedly return to the subject, even painting himself as the severed giant’s head, exposing his own fear of decapitation, as a result of a tortured life on the run from the authorities.

In terms of sculpture, many of the Renaissance’s greatest sculptors attempted the David and Goliath. Let’s first look at two earlier renditions.

Donatello (1430-1440)

• Donatello’s bronze David was the first male nude single standing sculpture since antiquity, so when it was unveiled, it caused quite a sensation.
• What we see is David after the fight, with a small smile on his face, with his foot on the head of the giant.
• David here is overconfident, knowing God is on his side, as he stands nonchalantly with hip out, hand on other hip.
• Decidedly the most effeminate of the Davids.

Andrea del Verrocchio (1476)

• Verrocchio’s bronze statue of David once again shows a very young a frail looking boy with a sword, after the battle.
• Like Donatello’s, the head of the slain giant rests on the ground, but this time next to David’s foot as opposed to under it; some historians have argued that Donatello intended the head to be between the feet.
• This sculpture is very similar to Donatello’s including the posture, and effeminate nature.
• Verrocchio intended the David to symbolize Florence: both were stronger than they seemed, and both were rising powers.

Michelangelo Bounarroti (1504)

• The Michelangelo is the only case where we see David before the battle. He holds the single stone in his right hand and the sling in his left, as he gazes, with a human uncertainty at the giant (close inspection shows intense eyebrows, and a piercing look from very human eyes). There is no sign of Goliath in the statue itself.
• The two notable Davids before this were bronze, Michelangelo carved his out of a giant block of marble.
• Truly larger than life, the statue is 17 feet tall.
• Unlike the others which have at least one article of clothing, Michelangelo’s David is completely nude.
• The artist was only 26 when he received the commission, and completed the sculpture in three years.
• Notice the proportions are somewhat off: the head and upper body are slightly larger than they would normally be. The statue might have originally been meant to be on a roof, where the viewers looking up at the statue would have seen correct proportions.
• Questions have arisen due to the statue’s historical accuracy regarding the genitalia of David. The King David of the bible would have been circumcised, yet this version shows an uncircumcised penis. Some have conjectured that Michelangelo did this purposely, adhering to the ancient Greek ideology that a circumcised penis is considered mutilated. The small size of the genitalia is possibly for effect: a larger member may distract from the statue as a whole.
• Queen Victoria was so shocked by the statue’s unapologetic nudity, that she commissioned a fig leaf to cover the genitalia. This fig leaf was kept on premise for subsequent royal visits.

Many Davids were produced after Michelangelo notably Giovani Lorenzo Bernini in 1624, and Antonin Mercie, much later in 1873, as well as many others. My conclusion is that none of them compare to Michelangelo’s David. Its mastery, its beauty and its glory surpass all other Davids before and after, and arguably all other sculptures in the history of art.

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