The Two "David"s

In the Baroque period, we see a shift in ideals from the Renaissance Period. Renaissance art usually depicted moments before important events took place, with little to no (implied) movement. Art in the Baroque period, however, took a wide turn from those thoughts with dramatic poses in every scene and is recognized by rich colors and stark contrasts in black and white. Taking a look at the Michelangelo’s “David” from the Renaissance Period in the 16^th century and comparing it to Bernini’s “David” from the Baroque Period in the 17^th century can give us clear indications as to what was sought after in each century. Both statue depict the same young man, David; the Biblical hero who defeated the giant of a man, Goliath, with his sling and five stones.

At first glance, one can immediately see a difference in the way the two Davids are posed; Michelangelo’s is calm, almost reflective, with an air of relaxed composure; even though this statue depicts David, the young, clever man who defeats a seven foot tall colossus, it does not seem to tell his story. The tranquil form certainly does not look like someone who is about to battle or just battled a near monster, the contrapposto way of his arms and leg suggest a state of thinking, revealing the ideals of the Renaissance Period in idealism and humanism. Contrastingly, Bernini’s “David” shows the man at the height of the action. Both figures demonstrate each of the artists’ superb skills with details down to the slightest vein, but Bernini’s David depicts him in a dramatic pose. One can see the stress and anticipates the next action, a winding up of the arm just before it releases the sling creates a visually stimulating experience none had witnessed before. Michelangelo’s is much more formal in the fact that it is really only meant to be viewed from one side (a look at the back reveals nothing more than the rest of the man’s body), Bernini’s, on the other hand, challenges the viewer to walk around it. Looking at their faces, the contemplative “David” by Michelangelo seems composed and engulfed in thought. Little expression is visible, the blank stare gives the viewer little into the mind of this man and what he is about to do. Conversely, Bernini’s “David” is full of emotion, with a tense mouth and heated stare, one can clearly see the state of alarm he is in and that this is a story of intense battle. Another difference is that one is Michelangelo’s David is naked, while Bernini’s remains clothed, which could be a reflection of the Renaissances ideals in the humanism (the appreciation of the human form) while Bernini showed his appreciation of the human form thorough his use of the dramatic pose.

Both works reveal the ideals from one period to another. I found it very interesting the beauty in both in different ways. Michelangelo sought the splendor in perfection, while Bernini sought to evoke a feeling of instructiveness with the viewer.