Classic Art - Sculpture

Penny_Lane_

Michelangelo's David differs from previous representations of the subject in that the Biblical hero is not depicted with the head of the slain Goliath, as he is in Donatello's and Verrocchio's statues. Most scholars consider that the work depicts David before his battle with Goliath.
He’s also standing in a pose called “contrapposto” . David’s weight is on his right leg, which is straight, while his left leg is relaxed. This makes his body have an S-shaped curve that makes him look more life-like.








Do you have a favorite sculpture?

DrBentonQuest

Relative to famed art, I've always been interested in the history and intrigue behind the original plinth and arms of Alexandros of Antioch's 'Venus de Milo.'


But if I had another $30m to spend on sculptures, I'd probably invest in 'Artemis and the Stag.' The Hellenistic bronze has held up remarkably for as old as it is.

Crankstr

Relative to famed art, I've always been interested in the history and intrigue behind the original plinth and arms of Alexandros of Antioch's 'Venus de Milo.'

I saw Venus de Milo a few years ago...stunning...

I wish i had set aside more time for The Louvre.

hindsight

dmpizza

I always thought David was a great inspiration in fitness, didn't need the close up on his junk though. Artistic as it is.
Thanks for posting.

maab_connor

for marble, you can't beat Winged Victory (IMHO)


and for bronze, all about Perseus:

_Wild_Card_

DrBentonQuest

Of course, relative to modern sculpture, Banksy's Murdered Phonebooth and Urs Fischer's Bear-Lamp are both phenomenal.

Penny_Lane_

I always thought David was a great inspiration in fitness, didn't need the close up on his junk though. Artistic as it is.
Thanks for posting.

Does classic art make you feel uncomfortable? Because that is what I am sensing....

quirkytizzy

I love you guys. :bigsmile:

Penny_Lane_

I actually had the honor of viewing this piece in the Vatican museum.

Amazing.

The story of Laocoön had been the subject of a play by Sophocles (, and was mentioned by other Greek writers. Laocoön was killed after attempting to expose the ruse of the Trojan Horse by striking it with a spear. The snakes were sent by Poseidon (although Athena or Apollo have also been suggested) and were interpreted by the Trojans as proof that the horse was a sacred object. The most famous account of these events is in Virgil's Aeneid (See the Aeneid quotation at the entry Laocoön), but this very probably dates from after the sculpture was made.

Cr01502

This is my favourite ice sculpture. It's a 12ft mushroom.

Contrarian

I really like The Dying Slave. It is one of my favourite Michelangelo sculptures:



You are so fortunate to have seen these works in person.

Penny_Lane_

La Bocca della Verità
Also got to see this beauty.... and I still have my hand!
Legend goes that if a liar puts their hand inside its mouth, they will lose it.

Otterluv

While I do love Michelangelo's David, I'm also a fan of Donatello's interpretation. Michelangelo's features an older, more buff figure in a "come at me, bro" stance. But, Donatello's is of a younger David, who is depicted in a way that he seems vulnerable. To me, this stature captures the point of the story, that David was far outmatched in his battle with Goliath, and yet still prevailed.



There is a fantastic PBS show that featured Michelangelo, http://video.pbs.org/video/1214340861/ . It delves into his last tormented years, as he was under constant pressure from the Church during the Inquisition, fearing for his life. Really fascinating, and showed me a side of Michelangelo that I had never heard of before.

DrBentonQuest

But, Donatello's is of a younger David, who is depicted in a way that he seems vulnerable. To me, this stature captures the point of the story, that David was far outmatched in his battle with Goliath, and yet still prevailed.

I can't disagree more. Considering Donatello's David is holding the sword of Goliath, David is sporting a smug grin, and the fact that David's foot is on Goliath's severed head, the statue depicts the immediate result of the legendary battle.

More interestingly, it is the first bronze statue of a nude on record since antiquity. Also controversial was the fact that David wore boots and a hat in the statue. Everyone knows that David was a ginger who liked to go to battle naked [that's from the source material right there].

sixibabey

this is one of my favorites

Cre8veLifeR

Hey! Thanks for classing this place up!

I have become a big fan of the work of Bruno Catalano!! I saw one of his pieces and was just amazed.



The classics are nice but I like modern sculpture very much!

((I like your version of "The Great Wave" btw -- very funny!))

Otterluv

But, Donatello's is of a younger David, who is depicted in a way that he seems vulnerable. To me, this stature captures the point of the story, that David was far outmatched in his battle with Goliath, and yet still prevailed.

I can't disagree more. Considering Donatello's David is holding the sword of Goliath, David is sporting a smug grin, and the fact that David's foot is on Goliath's severed head, the statue depicts the immediate result of the legendary battle.

More interestingly, it is the first bronze statue of a nude on record since antiquity. Also controversial was the fact that David wore boots and a hat in the statue. Everyone knows that David was a ginger who liked to go to battle naked [that's from the source material right there].

While I agree that Donatello's is a post-battle scene, it does not disagree with my statement that he entered the battle in a vulnerable state (nude). 1 Samuel 17:45 we read, "David said to the Philistine, 'You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied."


Yes, it is interesting that it's one of the first nudes since antiquity. It helped usher in the Renaissance and its ties to ancient Greek and Roman art, a time that carries influence in the art world even today - although at times it seems that we are being pulled back into the era of Pope Paul IV, who cut off Michelangelo's pension and ordered that the nudes of "The Last Judgement" have veils strategically painted over their genitalia.

Unknown

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mank32

cupid and psyche. (can't post pix)

:flowerforyou:

maab_connor

i also love this version of Achilles. i like the whole WTF attitude he has in this. it's not the pleading, crying Achilles, it's someone who has never had pain before and is SHOCKED by it.

Penny_Lane_

The Three Graces, from the Borghese Collection in the Louvre.

wolverine66

Michaelangelo's David is exceptional when you ultimately consider that different body parts (like his head) were not made proportional, but rather made larger because of the way that the sculpture would be presented (on a roofline with patrons looking up) and the need to accentuate certain parts.

BurtHuttz

What do you think David's BF% is? Looks like an 18 to me.

theCarlton

I always thought David was a great inspiration in fitness, didn't need the close up on his junk though. Artistic as it is.
Thanks for posting.

I was just thinking that I appreciated the attention to detail, particularly that of his "junk". Thank you Penny_Lane_.

Otterluv

I always thought David was a great inspiration in fitness, didn't need the close up on his junk though. Artistic as it is.
Thanks for posting.

I was just thinking that I appreciated the attention to detail, particularly that of his "junk". Thank you Penny_Lane_.

How he handled the hair is incredible, it almost looks like feathers.

Crankstr

i also love this version of Achilles. i like the whole WTF attitude he has in this. it's not the pleading, crying Achilles, it's someone who has never had pain before and is SHOCKED by it.

yes

wolverine66

Michaelangelo's Pieta is one of my all time favorite classic sculptures.

BeeElMarvin

carloc

I got back from Rome last week, was only there for a couple of days but did the Vatican city and the museum. Amazing art collection not even mentioning the Sistine Chapel. And then when you have completed the museum and are tired you enter the Basilica and are immediately greeted by Michelangelo's Pieta. A truly amazing day out.

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

Rodin's Iris, Messenger of the Gods, completed in Bronze in the early to mid 1880s, has always been one of my favorites. Rodin's pieces evoke a raw passion that was constrained by the classicists. His lines are never clean, the medium carries a dark patina, and he shows all flaws of the subject matter.



The raw beauty of his sculpture isn't hindered by the unnecessary. The Messenger needs only one arm and no head, for her message comes from the water she delivers.