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The Bronze David by Donatello
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Donato de'Bardi detto Donatello : The Bronze David
The statue of David, by Donatello, depicts a young David standing nude (it is the first large-scale bronze nude statue in the renaissance) and holding in his hand Goliath's sword, above the head of the dead Giant.
As to its dating there is no agreement among the scholars, the most acceptable view suggest the statue to be from the 1440's [1]. It is the same subject as his earlier marble statue of the same scene from 1408-9, however it displays a very different David than the well dressed victorious king. It is also different in the moment depicted because at the marble statue David still holds his slingshot, and hasn't taken up yet the Giant's sword in order to slay him.
Donatello's statue depicts a nude, with some feminine features.
Having feminine body serves both as a possible explanation of Jonathan's love for him (because he was beautiful like a woman) as well as to show that his accomplishment in tossing the stone at Goliath was not a result of his feminine like physic but rather of God's will.
As in Michelangelo's David , it could be demonstrated that the nudity of Donatello's David is a possible interpretation of the biblical text describing the biblical hero and future king in the time of the fight with Goliath (Follow the link to the article about Michelangelo's David for an explanation of David's nudity). David's nudity at the time of the battle is contrasted with Goliath's heavy armor, for the head, which is visible under the Hero's feet, is covered in the most part by an iron helmet.
However, Donatello's David unlike the later figure by Michelangelo, is not completely nude. David wears a hat, which has a laurel on top, and a pair of boots on his legs.
This might serve, as a kind of comic response to religious minded critics who might claim it is improper nudity of the Biblical hero and ancestor of Christ. For one could response: "he is not nude at all, he has his hat and boots on".
On the helmet of Goliath is depicted a scene of the ark of the covenant carried by angles, and above the ark are the priests Ophni and Pinnees given offerings from the angels of God. This scene is part of the battle in which the Israelites brought to the battle field with the Philistines their most holy object (the ark of the covenant), trusting that God would bring them victory, yet the Philistines were the victorious ones, and God did not help Israel (1 Samuel 4:3-22).
The hat David is wearing is a straw hat [4]. Peasants, shepherds and others working in the open air wore these hats. Not being of much value in cold weather, the straw hat is aimed mainly to protect from the sun (for example in paintings of summer time) [5]. Therefor it is appropriate to David who came to fight Goliath from the desert and therefor was wearing indeed clothes for hot weather. Being mainly a practical garment of the lower classes, rather than a fashion statement, the straw hat had many varieties and shapes according to different regions [6]. The laurel on top of the hat is the symbol for a victorious general in roman times [7].
It is uncertain at this time whether the boots David wears, are military gear [8], or a shepherd's boots. It would seem plausible that they are not metallic for David had rejected the hero's armor because it was not comfortable to maneuver with it, so there is no reason to assume he would have left on a metallic foot-wear. The fact that they are open-toed suggests (as does the straw hat) a warm weather, and perhaps the sculptor's wish to have the toes visible.
Donatello most likely received the idea of Ancient time warriors fighting in the nude with helmet and boots from Greek Vase paintings depicting such scenes [9]. However, at his time, it is unknown whether Donatello had available to him one of the Greek vases with such a depiction. Unlike, these ancient warriors, David has instead of a helmet (symbolizing the warrior) - the shepherd's hat, in order to identify him as a shepherd as well as a warrior.
Vasari relates a story by which a figure of Christ, Donatello made was said to look like a peasant by Brunelleschi. When Donatello saw a Christ made by Brunelleschi He said Brunelleschi will make Christs and he would make peasants [10]. And so he made indeed his symbolic Christ (which David symbolizes) a peasant like with his straw hat (on the connection between the nude David and Jesus see the section on Michelangelo's David in this work).
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[1] For a discussion regarding the Statue's date, see: Greenhalgh, M., "Donatello and His Sources", London, Duckworth, 1982, p. 166
[2] Greenhalgh, M., Cit., p. 166-167
[3] Which is the artist's interpretation of the enigmatic words of the bible "arcam foderis Domini exercituum sedentis super cherubin" (1Samuel 4:4)
[4] David's hat leaves totally open and defenseless the front and back of the head and only protects the upper part of the head (the only part of the head where direct injury is most unlikely). It is also most different from Goliath's helmet seen on the ground which indeed is a military helmet.
[5] Manesse Codex, (Cod.Pal.Germ. 848, Heidelberg University) Plate 125; Lorenzetti, A., Allegory of the Good Government: Effects of Good Government in the Countryside (Palazzo Publico, Siena); van Eyck, J., The Arnolfini Wedding; van der Goes, H., The Portinari Altarpiece : The adoration of the Shepherds (central panel), Uffizi, Florence.
For paintings of Renaissnace straw hats, see: http://www.geocities.com/karen_larsdatter/strawhats.htm
[6] Ibid
[7] Ovid, Metamorphoses, (Miller, F. J., tr.), Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1944, p. 40-41. An example of a warrior wearing a laurel on top of a helmet is the bust of Pyrrhus from Epirus (The national Musem, Naples)
[8] As claims for example Greenhalgh: Greenhalgh, M., Cit., p. 177
[9] For examples of Vase paintings depicting Greek nude warriors with helmets and knee boots. See: The vase painting of Hoplitodromos (race in armor) in Sweet, W. E., Sport and Recreation in Ancient Greece (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1987), p. 31, Plate 7; For another example of vase painting depicting nude combat between two nude warriors, wearing helmet and foot wear, see: Volute-krater, from Cerveteri. Achilles slays Hector (while it is called so, this fight is marked by the important role of armor in it, and in this vase painting the figures are devoid of armor), by the Berlin Painter. About 480 BC. 25.375 inch. British Museum (See Lane, A., Greek Pottery, London, Faber and Faber, 1948, p. 48 & Plate 78)
[10] Vasari, G., Le Vite dei Piu` Eccellenti Pittori, Scultori e Architetti, Rome, Newton, 1991, p. 352
Reviews:
| REVIEWER | COMMENT |
| University of Taiwan | Translation of this article to Chinese |
| Matthew Rankin (Dayton Uni.) | A much better explanation on the Davids than was given in my art history class. Thanks! |
| Ria Hsu (Academy of Art University-San Francisco) | I really like your explanation of the sculptures, which really help me with my history class!! |
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