Sculpture and Installation

For this assignment I wanted to look at Thinker by Rodin and David by Michaelangelo. Both of these sculptures depict strong men that convey powerful characteristics and attributes that are still worshipped to this day. One statue shows Dante at the gates of hell from The Divine Comedy and the other is David from the biblical story, David and Goliath. Although these pieces were created centuries a part, I believe that they portray strong qualities and provoke deep emotions that are still relevant in this day in age.

                  Thinker by Rodin, which was originally named The Poet  is a bronze statue that was first commissioned in 1880, but was not fully completed until 1904. Although people are skeptical that this piece is actually depicting Dante, because Dante is fully clothed throughout the poem and in the sculpture he is naked. Rodin wanted the figure to be naked to resemble the works of Michaelangelo’s heroic figures. The statue is supposed to represent philosophy, intellect, and poetry.

Auguste Rodin. Adam. 1880. Bronze

Auguste Rodin. The Thinker. 1904. Bronze casting.

Michaelangelo created his famous sculpture, David, from 1501-1504. The statue depicts David after he had decided to participate in the fight, but before the fight actually began. The body appears to be in motion and his brow is furrowed to show that he is thinking about something. This sculpture symbolizes resilience and youth during the renaissance. In June 1504 David was installed in the Palazzo Vecchio, but it has since been moved and now resides in the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze in Florence, Italy.

Michaelangelo. David. 1504. Bronze.

Michaelangelo. Moses. 1516.

What I love most about these statues is what they represent. David represents power, toughness, and tenacity. I think that everyone looking at the statue can see those characteristics and embody that. It’s very interesting to see how important those things were to people during the renaissance. Thinker demonstrates understanding, the arts, and judgment. How the statue is sitting, with the man’s elbow resting on his knee and fist under his chin, you can tell that he is deep in thought. You can look at both of these sculptures and feel those emotions.