It is always interesting to be able to compare two works of art with the same subject but from different artists and different periods in the history of art. The two statues of David, created by Michelangelo and Bernini, the first in 1504 and the second in 1625 provide an excellent opportunity to compare and contrast not only the styles of the individual artists, but also the styles of the Renaissance and the Baroque respectively.
Chronologically, Michelangelo and his David are older and will therefore be considered first. Michelangelo was one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance and among the most well known ever. During his career he created statues, like David, paintings, architectural plans and poems (“Michelangelo”). Michelangelo was born in 1475 in the small town of Caprese. Soon his family moved to Florence where at the age of 13 he became an apprentice to the artist Ghirlandaio (“Michelangelo”). It was in Florence that he created his first works, attained fame and was called to Rome by the Pope to work for him (“Michelangelo”). From then on, he spent time in both Florence and Rome and worked for the powerful Catholic Church including bishops and two Popes (“Michelangelo”). It was for one of them, Leo X that he painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel which is still being seen by visitors and where the new Popes are still elected (“Michelangelo”). Michelangelo died in Rome in 1564 (“Michelangelo”). Although much of his work was religious and was commissioned by the Catholic Church, David is a secular work and was made for the city of Florence. Florence was one of the leading Italian city states of the period, was often at war with other cities and that had experienced serious internal conflicts during the previous years when the ruling Medici family was expelled (“Michelangelo’s David”). The story of David comes from the Bible and narrates the victory of a young man, who against all odds, managed to beat a much more powerful and experienced opponent (“Michelangelo’s David). The Florentines often associated themselves with David feeling that they too have prevailed against strong enemies (“Michelangelo’s David). Naturally, the statue was placed in the central square of the city (“Michelangelo’s David).
Inspired by Classical Greek sculpture, which was the ideal of the Renaissance, Michelangelo depicted David completely naked. His body is that of a young man in his prime with strong muscles that can be seen protruding in the statue (Murray, 1991, 28). Similarly inspired by classical statues is the pose which seems relaxed in sharp contrast with the expression of the face which shows determination and strength (Murray, 1991, 28). The whole is a visual representation in monumental scale not only of the classical ideal that prevailed in Renaissance Italy but also of the “Florentine civic virtue of Fortitude” (Murray, 1991, 28). What is also of importance is the chronological moment the artist represents his hero. Unlike earlier examples made by Verrocchio and Donatello, this is not a representation of David after his victory. It is a representation of him before the beginning of the battle (“Michelangelo’s David”). This explains the relative calmness of the body as opposed to the tension appearing on the face: “David's victory was one of cleverness, not sheer force” (Michelangelo’s David). In this respect, Michelangelo combined the ideals of Renaissance art with the ideals of the city of Florence.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini may not be as famous today as Michelangelo is, he was however one of the leading artists of the Baroque style. He was born in 1598 and served as an apprentice in the workshop of his father something that must have helped him initially to establish his career (White, 2003). For most of his life he lived and worked in Rome where he engaged in sculptural and architectural projects being primarily employed by the Catholic Church (White, 2003). In 1665, his fame reached France and he was invited by the French king, Louis XIV to work briefly for him (White, 2003). He returned to Rome where he continued working for the church until his death in 1680 (White, 2003). Rome was the center of the Baroque in Europe. Catholic Rome had recently seen the attack of the Protestant Reformation savaging its beliefs and recruiting Christians all over the continent. Its streets and monuments on the other hand had seen invasions from foreign armies (Sorabella, 2003). During the 17th century it launched its own “attack” giving the Baroque style a religious agenda while various Popes filled the city with Baroque buildings and monuments most of which had clear religious connotations (Sorabella, 2003). Bernini must have been exceptionally good in this respect as he was repeatedly employed by subsequent Popes to create statues or buildings in Rome. David was therefore a religious and not a civic commission like Michelangelo’s work. Its message must have also been religious and connected with the attack on the Protestant faith. The work was commissioned by the Cardinal Scipione Borghese when Bernini was just 25 years old (“David”). Despite his youth, the artist managed to execute the work admirably. Stylistically, it is definitely a product of the Baroque style favoring movement, theatricality, tension and the display of strong emotions (Pioch, 2003). In order to achieve these qualities, Bernini depicted David in the moment of action when he is attacking Goliath (White, 2003). His body is twisted implying movement; tension is shown in the muscles of the body, those of the face and even on the expression of David. He is frowning; his lips are tight in a facial expression that shows determination and superhuman effort. Bernini paid attention to all angles of the statue and as a result he offers several different viewpoints to the audience, each different from the rest (“David”).
As White (2003) suggests, “expanding upon Michelangelo's fascination with the human body, Bernini added torsion to create a dynamic figure that extends into the viewer's space”. Pioch (2003) goes one step further and suggests that Bernini’s works are always “imbued with total spiritual conviction”, something that was certainly an asset for a statue that would be exhibited in the house of a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Bernini was also keen in honoring his patron by including an eagle at the base of the statue which is believed to be related to the Borghese family (“David”). In all respects, the end result is different than that of Michelangelo’s David. Apart from the obvious differences related with the commission of the two works and their symbolism, one political, the other religious, the two works are different stylistically. These differences are not only based on the different ways the two artists chose to treat their subject, but also on the differences between the Renaissance and Baroque styles. The stillness of the Renaissance is replaced by an explosion of movement in the Baroque; the dignified silence by an unrestrained show of emotions and the serene frontal male nude by the theatrical experience of a work of art that can be seen and enjoyed from all of its angles.
REFERENCES
David. Galleria Borghese official site. Retrieved on 3/10/13 at: http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/edavid.htm
Michelangelo. BBC History. Retrieved on 3/8/13 at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/michelangelo.shtml
Michelangelo’s David. VLSI/CAD RESEARCH GROUP - University of Colorado at Boulder. Retrieved on 3/8/13 at: http://vlsi.colorado.edu/~rbloem/david.html
Murray, L. (1991). The High Renaissance and Mannerism. London: Thames and Hudson.
Pioch, N. (2003). Baroque. Paris: Web Museum. Retrieved on 3/10/13 at: http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/glo/baroque/
Sorabella, Jean. (October 2003). "Baroque Rome". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved on 3/8/13 at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/baro/hd_baro.htm
White, Veronica. (October 2003). "Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved on 3/8/13 at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bern/hd_bern.htm
