Faces Faces of Davidof David

(…and Goliath)(…and Goliath)

Do you know these fairy tales?Do you know these fairy tales?

Jack and the Beanstalk

Tom Thumb

What do these stories What do these stories have in common?have in common?

They are all about younger people or children who manage to survive – and win -- in a situation where their opponent is much older and much stronger

The Bible tells the story of young David, who killed the giant Philistine Goliath with his slingshot.

The battle: Israelites vs. Philistines

Goliath is a giant Philistine warrior

He proposes a duelduel to decide the battle

No soldier from Israel accepts

David –a young shepherd– accepts the challenge

King Saul lends David his armor, but it is too big

David throws a rock at Goliath with his slingshot

Goliath falls and David cuts off his head with a sword

We understand that it was

God who helped David

This story has fascinated many artists, which give us the chance to compare some different versions of David. We’ll begin with

sculpture, by comparing the most famous three statues of David, created by these three artists:

Donatello, 1386-1466

Michelangelo, 1475- 1564 Bernini, 1598-1680

Background and materials:

Donatello’s David Donatello’s David

Location:Florence (BargelloNational Museum)

Commissioned by:the Medici family / Cosimo de’ Medici

Height:158 cm

Material:Bronze

Date:1440 circa

Michelangelo’s David Michelangelo’s David

Location:Florence (Academy Gallery)

Commissioned by:Office of Works, Florence Cathedral and Cloth Guild Arte della Lana

Height:517 cm, excluding base

Material:Marble

Date: 1501-1504

Bernini’s David Bernini’s David

Location:Rome (Borghese Gallery)

Commissioned by:Cardinal Alessandro Peretti and Cardinal Scipione Caffarelli-Borghese

Height:170 cm

Material:Marble

Date: 1623-24

Let’s begin with Donatello’s Donatello’s David:David:

Moment: victorious, holding the rock and the sword used to decapitate Goliath

Pose: relaxed; David’s left foot is on top of Goliath’s head.

Expression: smiling, enigmatic.

The boy is very young, slender and extremely graceful, all the more contrast to the giant warrior he has killed.

Made in occasion of the victory of Florence over Milan in the Battle of Anghiari, it may also symbolize Florence politically.

Innovative factors: Life-size, freestanding and completely nude, for the first time in 1,000 years.The body is standing in a counter-pose position, for an effect of motion and fluidity.

Expression: contemplative, with an enigmatic smile.

The beret with laurel may represent victory. It is also common to the god Mercury...

… as are the winged boots.

Moment: Just before Moment: Just before throwing the stone.throwing the stone.

Pose: selfPose: self--confident counterconfident counter--posepose

Expression: calm and Expression: calm and thoughtfulthoughtful

David is a grown man, in David is a grown man, in perfect physical conditions.perfect physical conditions.

Used by the Republicans of Used by the Republicans of Florence to celebrate the Florence to celebrate the demise of the ‘despotic’ demise of the ‘despotic’ Alessandro de’ Medici.Alessandro de’ Medici.

David by David by MichelangeloMichelangelo

The head and the right hand of David were quite large with respect to the rest of the body.

This is because the statue was This is because the statue was designed to be seen from below.designed to be seen from below.

Other artists had tried and failed to make a sculpture from this huge block of marble --

For Michelangelo Buonarroti, making a sculpture meant freeing –liberating – the form trapped within the stoneform trapped within the stone.

Michelangelo’s David has come to Michelangelo’s David has come to represent an ideal of male beauty represent an ideal of male beauty in all the world.in all the world.

In fact, all over the world, it is still inspiring imitations in every possible variation!

by Pichi & Avo, London

Poland

found at La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Last but not least: Bernini’s DavidBernini’s David:

Moment: Exactly while he is pulling the slingshot to throw the stone.

Pose: Spiral torsion, extremely dynamic, creating sense of motion – even his hair is moving, blowing in the wind.

Expression: tense, concentrated and determined.

David here is a man who looks a lot like Bernini himself.

The Baroque style of Bernini was conceived to involve the spectator emotionally.We may feel like we are standing right in the middle of the action, between David and Goliath.

It’s possible that the Goliath of that time was the Protestant Reformation. In any case, the Catholic Council of Trent wanted art to be easily understood by everyone.

Intention, tension, movement: it’s all happening right now!Intention, tension, movement: it’s all happening right now!

Bernini’s David is not sure that he’s going to win. The very human tension and concentration make us worry too, even though we already know how it will end.

In Bernini’s sculptures, the marble seems to get softer, becoming real flesh, hair, clothing.

Bernini places the king’s unused armor and a harp at David’s feet, reminding us that he is also a musician

The three profiles of David

THE MOST MYSTERIOUSTHE MOST MYSTERIOUS

THE MOST EMOTIONALTHE MOST EMOTIONAL

THE MOST RATIONALTHE MOST RATIONAL

The expressionThe expression

The MomentThe Moment

BEFOREBEFORE

DURINGDURING

AFTERAFTER

THE POSETHE POSE

Triumphant Triumphant and relaxedand relaxed Confident Confident

but vigilantbut vigilant

Tense and Tense and dynamicdynamic

What about GoliathGoliath? Michelangelo and Bernini left him to be imagined; only Donatello added his head under David’s foot.

How do you imagine Goliath?

If we want to see an interesting image of Goliath, we can stay in the Baroque period, moving from sculpture to painting.

Next week we will be talking about the great Baroque artist, master of light and chiaroscuro, Caravaggio.

Here is his version of David and Goliath. He has chosen a slightly different moment from Donatello.

Who do you think he Who do you think he used as a model for the used as a model for the head of Goliath?head of Goliath?

TakeTake--home task home task (homework): Find out and tell me next time!

Review in class:

Who was David?Who was Goliath?How did he kill Goliath?Which three famous Italian sculptors each made a statue of David?What 3 centuries were these 3 statues made in?What cities were they made in?Which statue was the biggest?Which statue wasn’t made of marble?What material was it made of?Which statue isn’t naked?Which sculpture also includes the head of Goliath?Which statue was interpreted as a celebration against tyrants?Which artist put a harp at David’s feet?Which statue shows the most movement?What three moments in the duel between David and Goliath are shown in each sculpture?Which statue has made the biggest impact all over the world?What expressions do the 3 Davids have on their faces?Which David seems the most tense and worried?What famous Italian Baroque painter also painted this scene?Which David do you like the best? Why?

HomeworkHomework:Bring in a photo of another painting or of David and tell us who the author is. What moment of the duel is it? What expression (or pose) does David have?