Michelangelo's David, A Short Analysis

The picture before you is one of a Renaissance sculpture masterpiece, designed by the artist Michelangelo.

Located inside the Accademia in Florence, Italy, Michelangelo's David not only boasts an ideal figure of man, but also tells a powerful narrative.

The inspiration behind David stems from an Old Testament story, one which is familiar to most of us.

At at time when most men in his villages were afraid and frightened, David represents a young man who bravely chose to take on the terrible monster Goliath with no armour and nothing more than a rock and a slingshot.

The slingshot can be seen in David's left hand and the rock in his right hand.

However, David's right hand resembles something more. Looking closely, we can see that the right hand is slightly enlarged. The increase in size is perhaps a representation of the 'Hand of God', for David was able to defeat Goliath with the help of God.

Another interesting feature of David is of his bodily structure, which reveals two key points.

The first is that we can see David's head is tilted to his left, as he concentrates on his target, Goliath. But as David does so, he remains incredibly relaxed and calm; there is very little tension in his body.

The thoughtful and reassuring impression that David embodies is a sign of hope and faith for the Florentines. David serves as a reminder that Florentines, too, have the potential to gather strength and resilience to tackle their own Goliaths.

The second inference from David's body is of how well sculpted it is. Indeed, now in the 21st Century, we take our understanding of anatomy for granted.

In contrast to our understanding today, the understanding of anatomy in the Renaissance was at best rudimentary. In fact, Michelangelo had dissected several bodies to enhance his own knowledge of anatomy before sculpting David.

Thankfully for Michelangelo, his efforts paid off astonishingly well, for David remains a masterpiece of Humanism, the art of emphasising the value of human beings, and continues to attract attention to this day.

A final point worth consideration is how Michelangelo and David compare with other artists and artworks of their era.

The two other artists that, together with Michelangelo, form the triumvirate of the High Renaissance are Leonardo Da Vinci and Raphael, both of whom are credited with masterpieces like David. These include the 'Last Supper' and the 'Mona Lisa' for former and the 'School of Athens' for the latter.

Judged by these terms, David is just as beautiful and admirable as other masterpieces, or perhaps, even more so. The people of Florence would certainly agree.