Every once in a while, we all encounter an individual who makes us rethink everything from the way we live to the things that matter most. This is exactly what happened to sculptor Michelangelo when he first laid eyes on the youthful David.
How Did Michelangelo and David Meet?
Michelangelo Buonarroti was born on 6 December 1475 in Florence to their father Ludovico and their mother Giovanna. As a child, Michelangelo was said to be a mumbler and a loner who refused to associate with other children. His mother was so desperate to make her son socialize with other people that finally, she went to plan a meeting for him with the next-door neighbour! It must have worked because the next few years saw Michelangelo become outgoing and social.
His love for art must have been sparked by this newfound confidence and he soon began training as a sculptor under his father. While in his twenties, Michelangelo met the young David, one of the many sculptures he was asked to restore.
Michelangelo fell so in love with David that he later sculpted a naked David as a kind of self-portrait. The story goes that Michelangelo worked day and night to finish David, having a special bench built in the courtyard so he could continue working at all hours. Some of his friends thought he was becoming obsessed with the young statue.
The Story of Michelangelo’s David
The David is the only sculpture by Michelangelo that is not a portrait. It is a nude statue of a young man who stands one foot in front of an apple tree with a pose that seems naturally graceful and relaxed. David’s body is slim and his torso is elongated. His head is placed slightly to the side and slightly back. This statue shows the artist’s genius at its best.
Michelangelo captures the young man’s identity and sensuality through his pose and the way he holds his body. David’s head is tilted back slightly and his eyes are half-closed. His mouth is slightly parted as if he is about to laugh.
David’s left arm is bent at the elbow as if he is about to pick an apple, and his right arm is stretched out at a 45-degree angle as if grasping an apple in mid-air. David’s left foot is slightly forward, balancing the body’s weight. Michelangelo uses the apple tree as a visual metaphor -both a symbol of the young man’s health and a symbol of his love for the beauty of the world.
How to Draw Michelangelo’s David
Let’s start by creating David’s head. The first thing you need to do is to sketch out its outline lightly. You can also tape two sheets of paper together and trace the head of your pencil drawing onto it. On the head, highlight the hair and the eyes.
For the hair, use short strokes that fade into the paper. For the eyes, focus on the outer orbital and the innermost corners. Next, you need to add the neck, shoulders and upper arms. The shoulder joints can be tricky, so keep them dark red to make them stand out.
For the upper arm, use short strokes to show the underlying muscle. Next, add the lower arms, forearms and hands. Make the fingers and the nails blue, using short strokes. Make the wrists green and the lower arms orange. Draw the upper legs, thighs and waist. Draw the navel, genitals and anus. For the genitals, show the scrotum and the anus with dark red.
The Meaning of Michelangelo’s David
True love is like a sculpture, beautiful and lasting. The young man in David is not only beautiful but is also strong and confident. He stands on one foot and has his other arm stretched straight out in front of him. He is balancing himself and his apple with ease.
He seems to be laughing because he is free to do so and not holding back. After all, he is holding an apple in his hand. David is not smiling at the apple in his hand. He is smiling at the beauty of the apple and the world around him. Perhaps this is because he is so enamoured with his love for the world that he cannot hold back his laughter even if he is holding an apple!
Conclusion
The David is one of the most famous and appreciated sculptures in history. The statue was painted by Michelangelo, who also created a lot of other magnificent works, including the Sistine Chapel ceiling. The statue depicts the young man David and is considered one of the most beloved sculptures of all time.
The statue is a symbol of true love and stands for passion, lust, and desire. David is a symbol of strength, courage, and truth. It is easy to see why David is such a popular subject for artists. If you would like to learn more about the life of Michelangelo and his famous sculpture, this article is a great place to start.
