Bernini’s “David” and the Council of Trent

Bernini’s David

Bernini’s David is yet another depiction of David from the Bible story of David and Goliath. Bernini started this piece when he was only 24 years old and it was completed between the years of 1623 and 1624 in Rome, Italy. Bernini had been influenced by the Baroque era as he chose to portray David in mid action. In this piece David is in the middle of pulling his arm back so he can release the stone on Goliath. This type of baroque artwork had been on the rise as it often made the audience of the piece sympathetic for the characters being portrayed. This gave this type of artwork a new sense of power as it often captivated its audience on an emotional level.

When Bernini was younger his artwork drew in Scipione Cardinal Borghese “a member of the reigning papal family” (Gian). With the support of the Scipione Cardinal Borghese, Bernini began creating “life size[d] sculptural groups” (Gian). Which in turn led Bernini to create his own version of David. Bernini was a devout Catholic which may explain why he felt driven to portray David in the way he did. The Roman Catholic Church had gone through some rough patches as it was the main group affected by the Protestant Reformation. Despite that occurring almost 100 years prior, the people who were apart of the Church were aware of the affects it had on the Roman Catholic Church. The Protestant Reformation triggered the Catholic Church to form the Council of Trent in 1545. The Council of Trent was a Counter Reformation to the Protestant Reformation. Bernini supported the ideas of the Council of Trent, which makes me think that he used David to symbolize the the conflict between the Protestant’s and the Catholics. In what way he did this I am still torn to two separate ideas. Bernini may have used David to represent the Catholic church and their fight to preserve what they believe in while Goliath and his people represented the Protestants. While on the other hand Bernini may have used a more subtle approach by using the story of David to show the similarities between Catholicism and Christianity. This came to my mind because it seems that if David was trying to give the message to support Catholicism then he may have chosen to portray a saint, the purgatory, the Mother of God, etc. But instead he chose a story that doesn’t only follow the beliefs of Catholics but also Protestants as well. Keeping this in mind, I believe he used this as a reminder to both the Protestants and Catholics what really matters in their beliefs. Both Protestants and Catholics could have come together and viewed this art form with no conflict because they value and view the story of David the same way. The story of David is a great reminder of what faith can do and ultimately how believing and living for God is the most important thing. This runs true in both the Catholic and Protestant faiths, having a relationship with God is the foundation to both these beliefs. This could mean that Bernini possibly envisioned this art piece to be a reminder to the Catholics and even the Protestants what it means to partake in their religion.

Bernini was only one of the few historic artists that chose to do a sculpture of David. Michelangelo, a humanist, also chose to depict David in a way that supported his humanist believes that there is beauty, dignity, and integrity in man. He used the story of David to demonstrate how men can be independent and do not have to follow under the rule of anyone like the Catholic Church for example. On the other hand Bernini chose to depict David in a more aggressive way which may explain his aggression he felt towards the Protestants and how they may have affected the Roman Catholic Church.

I thoroughly enjoyed viewing Bernini’s David. I was fascinated by how he chose to depict him in an aggressive manor which was so different from the other depictions of David. He used an immense amount of detail in his facial expression and body position; his furrowed brow, concentrated face, and aggressive stance really told a story in itself. The piece was really interesting and I would like to see other works from Bernini.

Works Cited

“Bernini.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 22 June 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_(Bernini)>.

“Bernini’s David.” Il Marmo Spirante Sculpture and Experience in Seventeenth-Century Rome (2013): 189-203. Saylor. Web. 21 June 2015. <http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/ARTH-207-BerniniDavid.pdf>.

“Council of Trent.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 22 June 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Trent>.

“Gian Lorenzo Bernini | Biography – Italian Artist.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 22 June 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/biography/Gian-Lorenzo-Bernini>.

The Role of Humanism in Michelangelo’s “David”.

David by Michelangelo

Michelangelo’s David is one of the most impressive sculptures from the Italian Renaissance era. Created between the years of 1501 and 1504, it was brought to life in the city of Florence, Italy. The marble statue stands at height of 14 feet, and depicts David from the story of David and Goliath in the Bible.In the Bible Goliath was a fighting champion to the Philistines and challenged the Israelites. He said that whoever dies in the battle would give their people to become servants and serve the winning side. Many of the Israelites cowered in fear over Goliath’s challenge. But David, a young sheep herder, accepted the challenge. Initially, Philistines had laughed at David and were almost insulted that the Israelites would send such a small boy to fight the all powerful Goliath. David is considered a “biblical hero” as he is known for conquering the giant, Goliath, with simply just a rock and a stone. Michelangelo used this sculpture to portray David prior to going to battle with Goliath. Through the years this sculpture has inspired many people as it is a great reminder of how both courage and faith can lead to great things.

Humanism was an era of change for many people as it promoted the idea that man has dignity, beauty, and worth. This ultimately changed people’s motivations and drove some away from the traditional religious motivations for art, works, and literature. David is a wonderful example of the humanism movement as the story of David demonstrates human independence. For the longest time people were expected to obey the laws and ways of the Church, and to consider your own rights or beliefs was considered sinful. David symbolizes independence because despite being scorned and made fun of prior to battle, he chose to turn away from the typical norms of the society simply because he felt God was calling him to do so. David was fully knowledgeable of what he was getting himself into and his plan of action was not to take this battle to brutal lengths. Another aspect of the sculpture that contributed to humanism movement was simply how Michelangelo portrayed David. Michelangelo does a fine job of capturing David’s beauty. He has enough detail to indicate that this was indeed a real person but not enough to show any flaws. Instead of stressing David’s weapons as a typical way to symbolize his manhood and bravery, Michelangelo uses David’s body in its entirety and most purest sense.

Michelangelo’s sculpture of David is my favorite art pieces from the Italian renaissance. This piece speaks louder than words and captures the determination, bravery, and innocence that David had with him prior to battle. The simplicity and the realistic aspects of this piece are absolutely surreal. His stance, the protruding veins in his hands, and the expressions of David’s face give way to his determination and his bravery. All the while Michelangelo’s choice to depict David as naked shows his innocence as it lets us see him in his entirety. His task of defeating Goliath was not done because he had any sort of superhuman powers but simply because he had God on his side throughout the battle.

Works Cited

“Michelangelo’s David.” Accademia Gallery in Florence. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June
2015. <http://www.accademia.org/explore-museum/artworks/
     michelangelos-david/>.

“1 Samuel 17 – David and Goliath.” Bible Hub. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2015.
<http://biblehub.com/commentaries/guzik/commentaries/0917.htm>.

Whittemore, Jessica. “Humanism in the Renaissance: Recognizing the Beauty of the
Individual.” Study.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2015. <http://study.com/
     academy/lesson/
     humanism-in-the-renaissance-recognizing-the-beauty-of-the-individual.html>.

My First Blog Post Ever!

Hello! My name is Sarah Jackson. I grew up in Fairbanks Alaska and am now attending the University of Alaska Fairbanks. However, this fall semester I will be attending the University of South Dakota to complete my BSN (bachelor’s of science in nursing). I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience at UAF and have further expanded my list of hobbies because of it. I have taken both ice climbing and winter camping courses throughout my time at UAF and now I am working as a student employee for Outdoor Adventures on campus. I have always had a great love for Alaska but I think it will be fun to broaden my scope and head down to South Dakota. I have honestly never been there so if you know of anything fun to do there you should let me know. 🙂

Caribou hunting in the Brooks Range. One of my favorite things to do with my family!

I have had little experience participating in theatre, music, and art. I once had to take a role in a play and I instantly discovered my fear of public speaking afterwards. I greatly admire those who are able to take their talents in the arts  to the public level as that is something that I have never had the confidence to do. Despite all this, I absolutely love immersing myself in the arts. I enjoy viewing ancient art and architecture, and going to musicals. My favorite musicals are Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Fiddler on the Roof, the Newsies, and Rent. My goal is to one day be able to go to New York City and see some of these musicals on Broadway.

http://www.broadway.com