David By Gian Lorenzo Bernini

David
By Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Art Movement: Baroque

Commissioned by Cardinal Scipione Borghese in 1623 to ornament his villa. The life-size marble statue still resides there today as part of the Galleria Borghese. The sculpture broke new ground in its time, and when compared to other sculptures that had been of David it looks vastly different. Sculpted using the Baroque style it has a sense of movement or action that previse pieces did not have. The purpose of this piece is to connect with you through a sense of heightened emotion. You can almost see the strength in David’s arms as he leans back to hurl a stone with his sling. It paint’s a vivid picture in your head and you can almost see the rest of the battle around you. Goliath is running towards David wielding his sword. The Baroque style of this piece forces you to live the moment rather than just glimpse a character in it. It does all of this while still maintaining the balance and symmetry of ancient Greek sculptures.