David Awaiting Goliath Essay, Research Paper

David Awaiting Goliath

Before going to Eleganza, the only sculpture that I had ever seen, besides the small statues in neighbors’ yards, was in books that I had looked at. When I entered the museum I noticed the many sculptures that occupied the small space. After walking around, observing the different sculptures and listening to Dr. Roselle speak, I came to a decision that David was my favorite statue in the museum. The complexity, texture, and realistic characteristics of Michelangelo’s David made this a beautiful sculpture.

I had only been exposed to pictures in books of sculpture before visiting Eleganza. For me to be able to see the sculptures in their three-dimensional form right in front of me was an experience I had never thought that I would have, unless I traveled to Europe. David’s body structure looked so firm and strong. I gained much respect for Michelangelo after hearing the stories Dr. Roselle told about his remarkable success in sculpting. It is hard for me to imagine the tools used to create the intricate details existed back when Michelangelo was working on his sculptures.

The texture of David was smooth to the touch; every curve seemed to flow with the rest of the body structure. The ivory color of the statue was pleasing to the eye and gave the statue even more of a soft, smooth texture. I was very pleased with the fact that I was allowed to touch David to feel the

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texture for myself. One thing that I noticed that seemed to stand out to me about all of the statues was that all of the toes were exceptionally long. David’s appearance was that exactly of a human being; I observed the body and there wasn’t a flaw to be found.

The realness found in looking at David was astonishing. Everything from the muscles in his arms and stomach to the curl in his hair made him an exceptional piece of art. Unlike a lot of the Greek sculpture, of gods, David is constructed as a young man that still is not at his prime stage of muscle mass. Although he is a warrior and is about to face Goliath, he doesn’t look overwhelmingly large or overpowering. The look in David’s eyes as he awaits Goliath is so realistic. He doesn’t show much expression in his face, but the detail in his body is marvelous and a great depiction of a real human being.

Visiting Eleganza was a good experience for me; I never knew exactly how skilled the sculptures of old times were. It was good to see all different sculpture from different periods of time to be able to see the differences in techniques and structure. Now I am glad that I will be able to comment on sculpture that I see and know what I am saying. I really enjoyed Eleganza and am now looking forward to a trip overseas to see the real thing.