COMPOSITION OF DAVID BY MICHAELANGELO

The sculpture David, was created over the course of three years (1501-1504) by Michelangelo an Italian painter, sculptor, architect and poet. The piece is currently displayed in the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, depicting the biblical hero David in the nude by using Carrara marble. The sculpture was commissioned by the Opera del Duomo for the Cathedral of France.When looking at the sculpture, it is evident that the pose is centred and does not have any outwardly jutting sections - possibly due to the low tensile strength of the marble. Another reason for the centred positioning is that the stance that the sculpture takes is that of a classic contrapposto position, as David seems to have more weight on his right leg while his left falls more gently. As a result, the sculptures shoulders face opposing angles to that of his hips, forming a smooth, more natural contour on the right side of the body. Whilst his right arm hangs by his side, Davids left arm is engaged by holding a sling, possibly an idea implemented to make the contrapposto more obvious (and give reason for the sculpture to be positioned as such). Additionally, Davids head is also angled facing the left, giving the neck another curve to give continuity to the bodys contrapposto positioning.The pose is very relaxed and open, as can be seen through the space allowance between Davids torso and right arm, which hangs loosely by his side. The large triangular hollow between his legs are also indicative of openness, contrasting with his somewhat serious and closed expression.

Due to the scale of the sculpture, the head (when seen at eye level) seems disproportionately large compared to his body, however is less obvious when looked at from ground level.