Renaissance Beauty And Art Essay, Research Paper

Renaissance Beauty as Portrayed Through Artwork

Donatello s bronze David is a paramount example of Renaissance beauty as portrayed through art. Donatello was one of the most important and influential fifteenth century masters. His bronze rendition of David was an enigma that was unlike Donatello s, or any of his predecessors prior works. It differentiated in its style, which incorporated a new use of aesthetics that had not been seen since antiquity, and also strayed from the idea that the human body was the wellspring of sin . Though the sculpture can be seen as beauty in the grotesque, with foot propped atop Goliath s severed head, the whole nature of David is tame, unthreatening, even homoerotic. Donatello s uses the natural form of contrapposto, shows life like anatomy of the human form, and adds a hint of romantic charm which lies in the hat on David s head, showing the Renaissance influence on a biblical legend. Vasario said that Donatello s David is a sculpture whose figure is so natural in its vivacity, and in the softness of the flesh, that it seems to the artificers as though it must be cast from life . David is unlike any sculpture before that time for that exact reason. As his works are examined, David stands out simply for its classical style, which was not the usual style of sculpting. Donatello s bronze David is a magnificent celebration of the beauty of the male form, and an immaculate portrayal of Renaissance beauty as portrayed through artwork.