David and Goliath: Endgame

     For my last blog, I decided to analyze Michaelangelo's David. This sculpture depicted the beginning of the story with David readying himself to go face Goliath. For this week's Baroque assessment, I decided to analyze Caravaggio's David with the Head of Goliath. 

 

David with the Head of Goliath by Caravaggio

Galleria Borghese, c. 1610

   Emotions and Backstory

    

    There is a ton of play with lighting and color in this oil on canvas. The background of the painting is all black, with the right side of David's body and left side of his face being heavily shaded. The colors used are not vibrant, they are mute and earth toned colors. The colors serve to establish the tone of the painting. This is the depiction of a serious and somber event. The lighting is further used to push this narrative, the shadows around David's face give him a sad, but determined, expression. David's right hand is almost completely hidden in shadows except for the blade which provides a sharp contrast, this, alongside David's expression, seem to indicate that David had been reluctant to use lethal force against Goliath and seemed perturbed to have let it come to this point. 

    When I look at this painting, I do not see a victory. It does not depict David standing over Goliath in a victorious pose, expression grinning and accomplished. When I look at this painting, I see a boy who had done what needed to be done for the sake of others, but he took no joy in the action. 

    An interesting tidbit of information related to this piece is that it was painted as a gift to Cardinal Scipione Borghese. Now, this isn't too out of the ordinary, it was not uncommon for the church to commission artists but what is interesting is that Cardinal Borghese happened to be the papal official with the power to grant Caravaggio a pardon for murder. I believe that this played a key role in how Caravaggio decided to draw this painting. This is why Caravaggio didn't depict David jubilant, he didn't want the Cardinal to believe that he thought killing was something to be rejoiced. Instead, he depicted David as pensive and sorrowful, showing that there is no joy in killing, there is only regret. 

Caravaggio and the Council of Trent

    The Council of Trent was a council made up of the Catholic Church with the original goal of countering the Protestant Reformation. They set out to change the people's idea of the Church and to make themselves the "good guys" one of the ways they decided to accomplished this was by restoring the people's faith through artwork. Art was the perfect way for the Catholic Church to relate to the populace, it was accessible and could be understood by everyone and anyone, even those who lacked a formal education. Caravaggio's art was heavily influenced by the Catholic Church, his art is straightforward and realistic. His paintings are was natural and real, it was rarely romanticized and was always straightforward, exactly what the Catholic Church was looking for. This is seen in Caravaggio's David with the Head of Goliath, the painting looks real and natural, David looks relatable and reachable in the painting, just what the Catholic Church wanted at the time. 

David with the Head of Goliath and David

    For our Renaissance assignment, I looked at Michaelangelo's David sculpture, and wanted to compare that to this week's Caravaggio's painting. 

 

Michaelangelo's David

Florence, c. 1504

    Both depict David, but the similarities arguably end there. Michaelangelo sculpted an Adonis like man, standing tall and gallant, determined to take down the menace that was Goliath. This depiction of David seems unrelatable, it seems like one should strive to be this version of David, but it is a version that no one will ever be able to attain. Caravaggio's depiction of David depicts a young, almost scrawny David. This David has killed Goliath, and while Michaelangelo's David would have probably been overjoyed and proud of his achievement, Caravaggio's David looks at Goliath with pity and resentment at what he had done. This David looks much more human and relatable.

Works Cited

“Council of Trent.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Feb. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Trent.

“David (Michelangelo).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Dec. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_(Michelangelo).

“David with the Head of Goliath (Caravaggio, Rome).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Dec. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_with_the_Head_of_Goliath_(Caravaggio,_Rome).

David and Goliath: The Original Underdog Story

 

Michaelangelo's Renaissance Masterpiece, David

    For this week's Italian and Northern Renaissance assignment, I chose one of the Renaissance's greatest masterpieces, Michaelangelo's David. 

    The marble sculptures of the Italian Renaissance have always amazed me. Sculptors like DaVinci, Donatello and Michaelangelo (to name a few) were able to transform strong and sturdy marble into supple and soft sculptures. The way these sculptures look like they would be soft to the touch has always awed me. 

    

    David stands there, poised and ready to march against his fabled opponent, Goliath. With his sling slung over his left shoulder, and his gaze fixed towards the horizon, he seemingly represents the oxymoron of Italy during the renaissance. His strength paralleling the growing financial strength of Florence while the soft texture of the marble representing the exploration of the arts and philosophy of the time. I can imagine that at the time, the people of Florence swelled with pride and were rejuvenated when setting their gazes upon David. 

    Florence's growing importance in the modern world during the time of the Italian Renaissance was largely due to the Medici Family and their growing power. The Medici family was a heavy patron to the arts during the Italian Renaissance and were patrons to countless artists and thinkers, one of those being Michaelangelo himself.  While the Medici family didn't commission Michaelangelo to create David, it is possible that the hero's resurgence in popularity arose from the family's commission of Donatello's David. The independence and strength that Michaelangelo's David emits was perfect for a Florence that was surrounded by powerful rivals, and with the statue being pointed directly at Rome, it was truly living up to its fabled story.

Works Cited

“Basic Facts about Michelangelo's David.” Accademia.org, 12 July 2018, www.accademia.org/explore-museum/artworks/michelangelos-david/facts-about-david/. 

“David (Michelangelo).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Dec. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_(Michelangelo).

Elements of Art

 

Wanderer Above a Sea of Fog Caspar David Friedrich

    The piece of artwork that I chose to blog about is probably my favorite piece. The piece is titles Wanderer Above a Sea of Fog  by the late Caspar David Friedrich. The painting was made in 1818, most likely in Germany, and currently resides in Kunsthalle Hamburg, Germany. 

    Emotion

    I'd like to begin my analysis with how this piece of art made me feel initially. I first came across this piece years ago in the video game Minecraft where it is an available painting. when I looked it up afterwards, I was met with a sense of adventure and curiosity. This oil painting makes one feel in awe of the world. The wanderer seemingly hiked up this mountain and has been met with a view of the world that he wouldn't have ever seen otherwise. This piece very much brings me a sense of onism, the awareness of how little of the world one will experience. While this notion may seem depressing to some, it brings me a sense of excitement in that there will always be more to experience. 

    Color 

    The piece is made up of cooler colors: blues, greys, and blacks. In addition, the piece incorporates more and more white in order to simulate fogginess and in turn represent distance and vastness. The wanderer stands in black clothing surrounded by the white and grey fog, in turn contrasting and standing out as the focal point of the painting. All of this comes together and gives off the sense of sadness, introspection and determination.  

    Lines

    The lines of the rock formations are strong and straight, demonstrating the arduous journey that the wanderer had to undertake in order to achieve that view. The lines for the rock formations further away from the wanderer are still straight and jagged, there is still more to conquer and see. Finally, the waviness of the wanderer's hair seems to show the wanderer's willingness to explore while also adding another layer of danger to the picture with the wanderer overlooking a vast landscape while battling wind at the same time. 

    Texture

    Because the picture is oil on canvas, it is already a very textured piece. If one were allowed to run one's hands along the picture, one would experience another sensation that would add to the vastness of the image would be the topographical feel that is a result of the bumpy and textured oil on canvas. The texture would help to relay the harsh journey that the wanderer had to endure in order to be able to look at the vast landscape. 

Works Cited

“Wanderer above the Sea of Fog.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Jan. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanderer_above_the_Sea_of_Fog.