Reading Art: David | Literary & Visual Arts | Arts & Entertainment ...

By Wim Van Aalst Created: July 17, 2012 Last Updated: July 17, 2012

This is the first installment of a series of articles called ?Reading Art.? In the series, I will be exploring masterful works of art through the ages and looking for what makes them extraordinary, from what is obvious to what is hidden.?

Strength and beauty are epitomized. (Courtesy of Artrenewal.org)

What better place to start than with Michelangelo?s statue of David, a Western icon of unquestionable magnificence.

Carved by hand from marble, the 17-foot-high statue clearly springs from the hand of a master: Idealized forms are characterized by a grand fusion of elegance and strength. The masterpiece radiates an aura of eternity, a timeless uber-quality that perhaps only Raphael managed to incorporate to a similar degree in his paintings.?

The composition couldn?t be simpler, though: a male nude in contrapposto, the head turned sideways and his only prop, a sling, draped around his back, largely hidden from sight. Yet this simplicity did not hinder its creators from expressing both content and emotion.

Creators? Indeed so. The statue had originally been commissioned to the sculptor Agostino di Duccio years before Michelangelo was born. For reasons unknown, Agostino ceased working on the project when he was just halfway through roughly shaping the legs, feet, torso, and some draperies.?

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Ten years later, Antonio Rossellino worked on David briefly, after which the block of marble remained neglected for another 25 years until the then 26-year-old Michelangelo convinced the commissioners that he was the right man to finish the job. He worked on it for over two years, sometimes at night, relying for light on a big candle strapped to his hat.

The Story of David

To reiterate the Biblical story of David, the young shepherd conquers Goliath, the giant Philistine warrior, with a rock from his sling, beheads him, and later becomes the legendary Hebrew king.?

It was habitual in the late 15th century to portray David with the head of the slain Goliath, but here a more diplomatic approach was used to express the theme?a lone David is gazing in the distance, his brow furrowed, weighing his opponent?s strengths instants prior to the fight.?

His tense expression contrasts heavily with his relaxed pose. He?s alert, yet at ease; fearless, but not cocky. His pupils are heart-shaped. All he sees is the aim of his heart, his glorious stance already predicting his victory.

The Statue?s ?Imperfections?

There are a couple of anatomic imperfections in the statue that have perplexed viewers throughout the ages. These ?flaws? are hard to explain away as simply errors?given that Michelangelo knew human anatomy to perfection.

David?s rather big head and slightly oversized torso are generally assumed to have been a deliberate choice in order to compensate for perspective foreshortening. The statue was originally intended to be positioned high up along the roofline of the Florence Cathedral.??

It?s a theory that really makes sense: Perspective by then held no mysteries to Italian artists. But it doesn?t explain the unusually large right hand.?

We could suppose that the hand?s size was intended to serve a diversionary function, but it is unlikely since the exaggerated definition of the nipples already does a sufficient job of balancing the pelvic nudity. So why this ?mistake? then??

Michelangelo realized the importance of making the shepherd boy look capable of toppling a giant?in more than one context. Alongside the purely religious motivation, the victorious-underdog theme of the story had certainly played a part in its commissioning.

At that time, Florence was an independent city-state threatened by powerful rivals. So it wouldn?t do if David were just a handsome lad, all good looks and elegance. He very much needed to look like a fellow to be reckoned with. And he does.?

Michelangelo succeeded in expressing the Biblical story with diplomacy and efficiency. This is not the statue of an underdog?it is a warning sign imbued with breathtaking glory: ?No matter how big of a bully you are, you will pay dearly if you mess with the people of God.??

From the foot of the statue, with that enormous hand menacingly resting overhead like a high-caliber weapon, any desire to spar would quickly disintegrate.

We will never be able to tell to what extent the statue?s magnificence helped secure peace or avert foreign invasions, but doubtless the sheer artistry of the piece inspired awe in foreigners and commanded their respect more than a threatening message would have ever been able to do.?

Renaissance artists knew a thing or two about putting the power of beauty to good use in their arts.?

Wim Van Aalst has a master?s degree in publicity and graphic design. A self-taught painter, he began working as a professional artist in 2008 and teaching students in traditional oil painting techniques and art theories.?

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages.?Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Source: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/reading-art-david-266117.html

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