Christian Artist: Michelangelo
Michelangelo’s David (1501-1504) is an example of a work of sculpture by an artist who confessed Christianity and in fact took great pleasure in reading Scripture as well as other religious writings, such as those of Savonarola, a famous reformer in Italy (Vasari, 1998). Michelangelo sculpted, painted and designed architectural works during the Renaissance in Europe. He was commissioned by the Pope to paint the Sistine Chapel Ceiling as well as the sanctuary wall of the chapel where The Last Judgment can be seen. Michelangelo also sculpted the Pieta—but in this paper, his David will be discussed. By analyzing Michelangelo’s David, which is considered one of the artist’s greatest masterpieces (Johnson, 2003), this paper will show how it reflects a Christian worldview considering the era in which it was created.
While Luther did not nail his 95 Theses to the church doors until 1517, some dozen years after Michelangelo finished David, reform had been a major topic in the Church and especially in Italy, where the Dominican Savonarola had conducted a “bonfire of the vanities” in which many people had tossed “vain” items into a fire in 1497 to help purify themselves from an encroaching worldliness that was distracting from them from the things of God. Michelangelo, an admirer of Savonarola, according to Vasari (1998), understood the urgency of the need for reform—and that is why his David is of such interest and greatness.
David was an Old Testament character, who rose up from humble beginnings to become King of the Jews and a prefiguring of Christ. In his youth, he slew the giant Goliath with a sling and one rock. It is this event that is commemorated in Michelangelo’s David. David is depicted as poised, relaxed and confident. He has complete and utter faith in his mission to protect his people from the threat posed by Goliath.
David was commissioned...
" understand it quite well, your highness, as the classical form is one that most pleases me." You must study him well and long before you begin this piece, I think." agree, my lady, I agree." Please, I want this statue to captivate from all angles. I do not need to tell you, I know, of the lighting in my garden, you will no doubt take that into consideration. In shadow and
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Art of classical antiquity, in the ancient cultures of Greece and Rome, has been much revered, admired, and imitated. In fact, the arts of ancient Greece and Rome can be considered the first self-conscious and cohesive art movements in Europe. Style, form, execution, and media were standardized and honed to the point where aesthetic ideals were created and sustained over time. The art of classical antiquity in Greece and Rome
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Michelangelo Biography and Detailed Information About One of His Art Works Michelangelo was one of the most influential artists of the Rennaissance and of art history. Painter, sculptor, poet and architect, Michelangelo dominated the art scene for almost the whole of the 16th century. Born in 1474, he lived to be almost ninety years of age, time in which he left an unparalleled creation to the world. In Michelangelo's time, the Renaissance
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