Running head: Analysis of a Cultural Work 1

Analysis of a Cultural Work

Student Name

Institutional Affiliation
Analysis of a Cultural Work 2

Analysis of a Cultural Work

I chose Michelangelo’s famous sculpture David. It is currently found in the Accademia

Gallery of Florence and there is virtual access through different media available on the internet.

It was created from a block of marble between 1501 and 1504 and was originally meant to adorn

the roof of the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower in Florence, Italy (Manetti et al., 2023).

There are many elements of the sculpture David that stand out to me and millions of other

viewers who flock to see it in person and over the internet for many years. The image is a visual

representation of the Biblical character David just before his renowned battle with the giant

Goliath. The sculpture has a focused stare and a stance that appears primed for action. When

viewed from below, the sculpture gives the illusion that David is poised for action. Another thing

that stands out to me is the attention to detail and idealized body, both of which are hallmarks of

an artistic style that secured Michelangelo’s reputation as one of the most famous Renaissance

artists.
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This style of sculpture was heavily inspired by Greco-Roman art and culture that was

prevalent in 15th century Florence. Michelangelo based David on monumental statues from the

Hellenistic and Classical periods, with a naturalistic and idealized body structure that harks back

to the Apollonian youth male figure. David is posed in a classical and archetypal contrapposto

where the bulk of the body weight is shifted to one side and a protruding hip. Some sources link

the physical appearance of David to Hercules, a hero whose tales have been closely linked with

Florence. A similarly outstanding feature of Michelangelo’s David is how the character is

portrayed without the image of Goliath. Other artists like Verrocchio and Donatello depicted

David with a sword in hand, and the decapitated head of Goliath at his feet or near his person.

This depiction was an unprecedented technique that inspired other artists in the Renaissance era

such as Bernini who completed a sculpture without Goliath in 1624 (Williamson, 2020).

The sculpture of David has been viewed as having different purposes over the centuries

since it was originally created by Michelangelo. It was originally commissioned for the

Cathedral of Florence by the Opera del Duomo as one of the large statues to be position nearly

80 meters from the ground in the niches of the cathedral’s tribunes (Roberts, 2020). The block of

marble from which it was carved was the result of a previously unfinished project which had

been rejected by other sculptures due to the presence of many imperfections. This block had

exceptional dimensions that made it remain neglected for decades and lying in the courtyard of

the Opera del Duomo. The board of the Opera established a religious subject for the statue;

however, they did not expect such a revolutionary interpretation of the Biblical hero David.

Unlike previous artists, Michelangelo chose to depict David before the battle, at a moment where

he is tense and at the apex of concentration (Kamins, 2015). He was able to convey cleverness,

determination and concentration rather than sheer force. Michelangelo transmitted the trait of
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self-confidence which was a value of the ‘thinking man’ and was considered perfection during

the Renaissance era. Therefore, Michelangelo was successful in communicating the purpose of

his sculpture.

There are many contributions the work makes to continue the dialogue about the culture.

The image of the sculpture was inspired by the biblical figure of David in the well-known

narrative of his battle against the colossal Philistine Goliath. Against all odds, David knocked

down Goliath using a simple sling, and he beheaded him with his own sword. In many other

artistic depictions of David, he had been portrayed as a young boy and was often captured at the

moment after he had slain Goliath. At the time when Michelangelo sculpted David, the Republic

of Florence was surrounded by many threats. The Florentine Republic faced insurmountable

odds on all sides, with foes like the ruling Medici family and countless threats from other

powerful neighboring states. As a result, the people viewed the sculpture of David as a symbol of

unexpected strength, unwavering courage, and historic perseverance (Obradors-Suazo, 2017).

The sculpture became the symbol of liberty and freedom of the Republic’s ideals, which showed

the readiness of Florence to defend itself from the threats of more powerful rival states. Thus, the

sculpture of David makes a statement about being bold and courageous in the face of extreme

adversity, representing how the state of Florence had to stand up to fierce, more powerful rivals.

Questions about the work;

What inspired Michelangelo to pick David over other courageous and strong Biblical characters?

Why did the people of Florence think of having a nude naturalistic sculpture as a social icon?

What role did patronage and powerful institutions play in shaping the cultural aspects of

Michelangelo’s David?
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To answer these questions, I would study a combination of critical interpretation,

historical research and art historical analysis. I would find this information in historical records

documenting the Renaissance period, Michelangelo’s life and works, analysis of the sculpture,

and scholarly journal articles that focus on analyzing symbolism, allegory, Michelangelo’s

background, the reception of David and the legacy of the sculpture.

Michelangelo’s David is closely related with the humanities. It is a prominent sculpture

discussed in art history, and reflects the cultural values and societal norms of Renaissance Italy.

The sculpture also raises philosophical questions of the human condition, with the character of

David having religious roots. David has also inspired many literary works such as essays, poems

and novels.

These links to humanities show why people feel the need to express themselves through

works of cultural significance. Michelangelo’s David was heavily inspired by the Renaissance

event, which was a time of significant intellectual, cultural and artistic transformation with

renewed interest in classical Greek and Rome cultural aspects. There was a shift towards a more

secular worldview focused on individual human potential, thus explaining the resurgence of

humanistic thinking. I found this explanation in the resource by Della Monica et al. (2019) which

explored the context of the Renaissance and how it affected cities such as Rome, Florence and

Venice with strong implication in the scholarship, arts and cultural aspects of society.

Human creative expression can be perceived both from the perspective of the creator and

that of the audience that receives it. A central idea like the portrayal of David takes on different

meanings based on the time and the society in which it is born, which resulted in the sculpture

taking on a meaning of bravery, determination and the strength to rise above stronger rivals.

Michelangelo may not have intended this meaning, but to Florence it reflected the attitude and
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strength they needed to overcome their rivals. This is explained by Paoletti (2015) who explore

how creative expressions can take on different meanings when viewed through different lenses.

There are many ways through which creative expression can impact today’s issues. The

current society faces serious problems like prolonged violence, economic decay, global health

threats, corruption and climate change. Creative expressions that document a particular issue can

easily be translated to others based on a central theme of decline which can be viewed differently

by people who experience the challenges that become immediately apparent when interacting

with the expression. This explanation is clear through the study of William Shakespeare whose

works have been interpreted in several ways each with their own meanings to people who

interact with them (Potter, 2012).

References

Della Monica, M., Bernabei, P. A., Andreucci, E., Traficante, G., Paternostro, F., Peluso, F., ... &

Gulisano, M. (2019). Michelangelo’s David: triumph of perfection or perfect

combination of variation and disproportions? A human perspective. Italian Journal of

Anatomy and Embryology, 124(2), 201-211.

Kamins, J. (2015). Among the prophets: Michelangelo's" David". American University.

Manetti, G., Bellucci, M., Nitti, C., & Bagnoli, L. (2023). A study of Michelangelo's David from

an accountability perspective: Antecedents of dialogic accounting in the early Florentine

Renaissance. Accounting History, 28(1), 30-57.

Obradors-Suazo, C. (2017). Michelangelo’s David: Florentine history and civic identity.

Paoletti, J. T. (2015). Michelangelo's David: Florentine history and civic identity. Cambridge

University Press.

Potter, L. (2012). The life of William Shakespeare: A critical biography. John Wiley & Sons.

Roberts, S. (2020). Antonio Rossellino, the Eros of Praxiteles, and Michelangelo’s

David. source: notes in the history of art, 39(4), 219-229.

Williamson, M. (2020). David: Donatello, Michelangelo, and Bernini.