The statue of David took approximately 7 months to complete between the years of 1623 to 1624. It was sculpted in Rome by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The statue is made of marble, and now resides where it always has, in the Galleria Borghese in Rome. David is a 67 inch high statue of the biblical David, who is in the process of throwing the stone that will bring down Goliath. The biblical David is from the First Book of Samuel, in the Old Testament. Goliath is nothing less than the champion of the Philistines, who are at war with the Israelites. Goliath has issued a challenge to the Israelites to send out any warrior and he will defeat them. David, who is only a shepherd and a boy, accepts Goliath’s challenge and slays Goliath with a stone from his sling. Bernini’s statue depicts David in the process of throwing the stone at Goliath. There are also some objects lying at David’s feet, including the armor that David took off because he is not used to fighting in it, and his harp (1 Samuel 17:39).
This statue was commissioned by the cardinal Scipione Borghese, who also commissioned many other works from Bernini to decorate his villa (Preimesberger, 7). While Bernini was working on David, his friend Maffeo Barberini was elected pope, and became Pope Urban VIII. After he became the Pope, Urban VIII commissioned Bernini to do many more pieces for him in support of the Council of Trent’s Counter-Reformation movement. During the Baroque era, Popes strongly supported the Council of Trent by commissioning works of art for the Counter-Reformation. These commissions got Bernini included in a number of large architectural projects, including St. Peter’s Basilica (Hibbard, 56-57).
The style of the Baroque sculptures changed from the Renaissance style. Renaissance sculptures tended to be designed to only be viewed from one side, while Bernini’s David was sculpted to be viewed from all sides (Hibbard, 57). Another significant difference between David and earlier sculptures is that it references its surroundings. Previous to the Baroque era, most sculptures were self-contained, but Bernini often had his works interact with its surroundings, like David is interacting with Goliath in this piece (Gardner, 758). Another difference between Bernini’s work and other sculptures is the moment that is depicted. In the Renaissance style depictions of David, he was stagnant after killing Goliath. Bernini chose to show David in the process of killing Goliath, which is a strongly Baroque style (Hibbard, 56).
Personally, I enjoyed this statue more than the majority of artistic pieces I have seen so far. I particularly like how David was depicted in motion rather than simply standing. I think it shows far more skill to sculpt him in this position. My favorite part is the look of concentration on his face as he prepares to throw the rock. I am not usually a fan of nudity in art but I believe it is tastefully done here, so I can appreciate it. As a whole, I believe David is a wonderful sculpture and has a solid theme.
Preimesberger, Rudolf (1985). “Themes from art theory in the early works of Bernini”. In Lavin, Irving. Gianlorenzo Bernini: New Aspects of His Art and Thought, a Commemorative Volume. University Park & London: Pennsylvania State University Press. pp. 1–24. ISBN 0-271-00387-1
Hibbard, Howard (1965). Bernini. Baltimore: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-020701-5.
Gardner, Helen (1991). Gardner’s Art Through the Ages (9th ed.). San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. ISBN 0-15-503769-2.
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This is one of my favorites too! I agree with you on the point about motion and his expression being the most enticing factors. Such determination! I’m surprised he hasn’t shown up in a Nike “Just Do It” commercial. Since the Council of Trent was held almost one hundred years before he began “David”, wouldn’t he have been influenced by the counter reformation when creating “David” and in virtually all his work, not just that commissioned by his friend, Pope Urban VIII? Do you know if he did any secular work?
What an incredible sculpture! I was also fascinated by Bernini’s rendition of David versus Michelangelo’s depiction as it shows emotion and action. When I first saw this sculpture I felt as though I was on the battlefield and seeing David in action. The story of David is, in itself, an incredible tale of courage and this statue really illustrated those themes to me more so than the statue from the Renaissance. I also like the look of concentration on his face as he gets ready to throw the rock and directly hit Goliath in the head and kill him. Your analysis of this piece was good and well-organized. I like how you included the back story of David and Goliath in your analysis. Also, your citations were done correctly. Thanks for sharing this magnificent piece of art!