Post #7 Baroque Art

The art that was created during the Baroque period in the seventeenth century deliberately chose to step away from styles and techniques that were popular throughout the Renaissance. However, there were some elements of Renaissance art that can still be seen within the Baroque period. Set side by side for comparison, Michelangelo's David (1501-04) and Bernini’s David (1623) show many of these similarities and differences. At first look it is clear that both artists were striving for a degree of naturalism. In both pieces, the David figures appear to be humanly proportionate and posed in very natural ways. Michelangelo choosing the classical contrapposto stance, showing how the weight is shifted to one leg. Bernini too shows this transfer of weight but does so by freezing his David in action, as he prepares to sling his stone. Both artists also chose the same medium, marble stone, for which to carve their pieces, making many of the difference more noticeable when in comparison. Neither artist chooses to incorporate paint, or color to the final statue, opting to stay with the color of the stone.The use of pure marble statues goes back to the classical period, an artistic period that has had a large influence on both the Renaissance and Baroque art as well. Michelangelo's David shows more influence of humanism, than Bernini's. In Michelangelo's David we can see that first he is nude, showing the human form freely. He has also been idealized, showing him in a "perfect" human from, in strength and youth, with fully toned and sculpted musculature. Baroque artists were not as heavily influenced by the ideas of humanism. As one can see, Bernini's David, along with much of Baroque art, has some way of covering figures so that they are not nude. Also his David is not idealized, there is a realism to his muscles, body age, and facial features. The art of the Renaissance is known for its focus on visual harmony and calming to the viewer. Michelangelo's David shows this in his very relaxed pose and the serene gaze. The styles of Baroque art rejected this ideal and instead chose to make art that was full of drama and emotion and tried to force viewer involvement when looking at a piece. Bernini does this in his David in a couple of ways. As mentioned before, the figure is frozen in motion, but like in much of Baroque art, Bernini chose to freeze his David at the utmost climax of activity. In this case right before David slings his stone at the giant Goliath. Bernini also is able to incorporate a sense of drama by  the facial expression he chooses to give the figure. By the look on his face the viewer can see the range of emotions David might have felt at that moment, from fear,or anger, or concentration, even faith. This kind of emotion and manipulation of the viewer into a similar emotional response is an element that is not present in the Michelangelo version of David.