Name: Unknown
Date: 2002-03-24
Comments: David looks as if a female model was used, I realize he was supposed to be a young boy but he look very soft and appears even to have breasts. I know many artists used males as models for female sudjects in paintings.
Name: rhea mae delgado
Date: 2002-07-28
Comments: David should have a sling instead of a sword according to the biblical story. He is young and he shouldn't have muscles. He should also have worn a sheperd's dress not a dress of a knight. The head of Goliath should be bigger because he is A giant.
Name: amanda
Date: 2002-10-15
Comments: i think that this piece was able to portray davids innocence without missing the courage it took to stand up to the giant. the femininity of his body is not accurate of the men in the era, but it does depict a less muscular teenager, as michelangelo's david. there is no controposto pose here, but it is a fluid and relaxed position as he revels in his accomplishment.
the delicacy and drapery of the shrowd shows a contrast to the heavy armor which he took off, and his youth. i love verroccio's version of david.
Name: dan
Date: 2002-10-02
Comments: Remember, however, that David slayed Goliath using a sword to cut off his head. The slingshot only stunned goliath and knocked the giant to the ground.
The body of David is posed in such a way reminescent of the Greek classical period, slightly contrapposta with no sign of definite expression.
Name: MindIessDolt
Date: 2002-11-21
Comments: Goliath was killed with a sling, and then david used Goliaths sword to cut off the head. The shirt looks to tight to be armor. Perhaps its a shirt, so he isn't dressed like a knight after all. You wouldn't be able to see his ribs if he was dressed in knight like armor.
Name: Rara
Date: 2003-01-09
Comments: I think this is an acurate depiction of David. When you read about him in the bible he is described as young, and a sheeperd. Unlike his other brothers he is not supposed to muscular or handsome. Though David should carry a bad of rocks and a sling shot as well as a sword, otherwise this is a great portrayal.
Name: Caroline
Date: 2003-04-05
Comments: For early renaissance artists, David, the biblical hero, was a theme of interest. Wealthy Florentine patrons (de Medici family in this case) commissioned artists to create sculptures of this figure. Florentines considered David to be not unlike themselves as they felt they had also coquered a giant when they revolted from tyranical rule.The interpretation of this artist and of Florentine patrons is misconstrued and conflicts with the actual biblical intent of David's character. David is a hero because of his faith. He was known as "a man after God's own heart." David was also well known for his military acheivements and strength as a leader. These however are not the reasons that he is a biblical hero. David saw Goliath as a mortal man defying the living God. The major point of David's story was that he had faith in God. Florentines left God out of their story and this is the most important incongruity between Verrochio's representation and the actual biblical hero. The de Medici's were very humanistic in the sense that they glorified their victory and wanted a sculpture of David to commemorate their victory. I do not belive that David represents them as David intended to glorify God while florentines only wished to glorify themselves, a direct offense to God. Verrochio's David is a vastly inaccurate depiction of David because of its intent. In addition, the sword this figure holds is much to small to have belonged to the nine foot Philistine, and is an inaccurate inclusion. While Donatello's depiction of David is also misrepresentational, the sword he holds is much more convincing as belonging to Goliath. The de Medici's would have been better off comissioning Verocchio to sculpt the family instead of a biblical hero.
Name: Marie
Date: 2003-05-21
Comments: The David has a sword in his hand because it supposses that he had finished of decapitating Golliat after he had killed him with a sling.
Name: Seth S.
Date: 2003-10-15
Comments: I feel that the David above looks very cocky and has a look on his face that says bring it on. It's like I done killed one big dude bring on the rest.
Name: Christy C.
Date: 2003-10-15
Comments: This does look like a female model was used...it looks like he is wearing a dress, even if that may have been the style at the time. This sculpture is very puny-you can see his ribs. Someone who is that skinny and puny doesn't seem like they would be able to achieve what he did. Also the sword is so small there is no way that could have chopped off a head. This sculpture is just not realistic to me at all. ENG 200
Name: Olivia Schulze
Date: 2003-10-16
Comments: This sculpture strikes me as humerous in that David is outfitted in royal like clothes and standing above the head of Goliath. David appears weak and small in size but yet is holding a sword. It is interesting the varing ways that David can be captured.
Name: Brian Gay
Date: 2003-10-16
Comments: David looks very confident in himself knowing that he has slain a great beast of a man. The figure seems feminine in the odd dressing of this warrior. When if this figure were disconnected from its head and legs would it be recognized as a man or woman? Could one still infer that this is David?
Name: Robert Boone
Date: 2003-10-16
Comments: I think this piece is more symbolic than accurate. For instance, David (according to the Biblical story) should be carrying a sling instead of a sword; however, the sword acts to represent the flowing long "feminine" lines of David's body. Moreover, these "flowing lines" reinforce David's charater as being young, weak, innocent, et cetera. All in all, I think this is a very good depiction of David's inner strength compensated by a clear lack of outward masculinity.
Name: Mary
Date: 2003-10-16
Comments: I think that this version of David looks very confident and victorius. He is slightly older and more masculine compared to Donatello's version. The Goliath in this painting doesn't seem as threatening as it has in other versions.
Name: Shellie
Date: 2003-10-16
Comments: I really like this portrayal of David. I like how Verrocchio has shown the strength of David by the muscles. The way he is standing really shows his pride, especially with Goliath's head at his feet. The head of Goliath really adds to the sculpture unlike Michelangelo's David. The only negative thing that I find is the female look, his features and stance, that Verrocchio has given David.
Name: Holly
Date: 2003-10-16
Comments: I understand the point that Verrocchio was trying to make when doing the sculptor of David. Actually, in some ways it does resemeble the David described in the bible. Still, this statue is a little to feminine looking to be one of a hero.
Name: Amanda Grubb
Date: 2003-10-16
Comments: I think that Verrocchio's "David" looks more like a man then Donatello's does, but less then Michelango's. The expression on Verrocchio's "David" makes it like older then what I think he intended it to. Also Verrocchio's is wearing clothing or some type of armor. Verrocchio's still doesn't seem to have as big as muscles as Michelango's. Verrocchio's also occurs after he has killed the giant.
Name: Stacey Conrad
Date: 2003-10-16
Comments: David is portrayed in a juvanile manner. Verrocchio fails to put the emphasis of the sling in the statue, but it is better than the Donatello interpretation.
Name: Robin Lewis
Date: 2003-10-16
Comments: I have to agree with Amanda. It does capture is youth and innocence. It also portrays his accomplishment of defeating Goliath. He is not exagerated to be a masculine warrior.
Name: Lauren Zapp
Date: 2003-10-16
Comments: I think david looks like a female in this sculpture. However, I think it is worse in Donatello's sculpture. In this sculpture he is wearing a dress. David seems to have a proud gester on his face like he knows he did an amazing thing.
Name: Erica - ENG 200
Date: 2003-10-16
Comments: I agree with Caroline that "the sword this figure holds is much too small to have belonged to the nine foot Philistine," though the work is good it's not accurate. Granted it's only like 4 feet tall and bronze, which makes it more difficult to erect, it’s just not a good depiction in my book. It looks much too feminine to me, but I take into consideration that sculptors back then focused on beauty, both male and female, and femininity reflected youth.
Name: Kellie ENG 200
Date: 2003-10-16
Comments: Verrocchio’s David is portrayed as an emphasis of soft beauty unlike Michelangelo’s which is portrayed as emphasizing masculine beauty. Verrocchio’s David is leaning to one side which could suggest victory along with the way he is holding the sword down to one side (Goliath’s sword). I agree with Amanda that this piece was able to portray David’s innocence without missing the courage it took to stand up to the giant. The femininity of his body is not accurate of the men in the era, but it does depict a less muscular teenager, as Michelangelo’s David. However, the soft features do not take away from the actual event by placing Goliath’s head at David’s feet. This piece shows courage, victory, and the realization that good wins over evil.
Name: Stephanie Clark
Date: 2003-10-17
Comments: Yes I agree with the other people about David looking feminine with David wearing the armor that makes him really look more like a female and also his hair as well. You can tell that he's probable in his early twenty. But out of all the sculptures that I have seen this may be the only one that has an armor on.
Name: Daniel Weddington
Date: 2003-10-17
Comments: This depiction of David shows him in a more arrogant demeanor than in other sculptures of the figure I have seen. The hand on his hip and sly little smirk make him look as if he is revelling in his own accomplishment. Personally, I feel that depicting David in this manner takes away from his heroism and makes him look egotistical and conceited. Aesthetically, I think this is a beautiful work and I feel it does a great job of getting across the youthful aspect of David as a person. He doesn't look like this unearthly male specimen, he just looks like the normal skinny little kid we are told he was.
Name: danny
Date: 2003-10-17
Comments: Even though he has a small stature, David is a legendary fighter known for his bravery. This statue embodies certain aspects that accompany strength, youthfulness, bravery, and a slight cockiness.
Name: Josh McCurdy
Date: 2003-10-17
Comments: This David looks like a female. I had to give it a second glance to reassure myself that it is supposed to be male. His stance is very feminine also. I wonder why he is portayed this way, he is a young hero who accomplished sopmething not very men could do. Maybe he looks feminine to show that he is still a young boy and not yet a man?
Name: Eric Coffey
Date: 2003-10-17
Comments: I think this is a fairly good depiction of David. He is muscualar but if you had to walk everywhere and keep after sheep you would probally have more muscle than the average video game playing youth of today right? As for the pose this seems to be a popular pose and i dont think it really means anything, its just what a lot of david satues use. Also if you draw a line from the left elbow to the tip of the sword it makes the sculpture very balanced.
Name: larry deel
Date: 2003-10-17
Comments: David's feminess i think just gives him attitude. Like women today you but there hand on their hip and have that little smirk on their face.
Name: Janette Stidham
Date: 2003-10-17
Comments: David is surely not portrayed, in this sculpture, as he was in the Bible. David seems to be proud and boastful of his victory. The armor he is wearing takes away from the marvel of what he did. He took the Goliath in a bare and vulnerable state. This is not portrayed here. This is much like Donatello's representation of David.
Name: hrf
Date: 2003-10-17
Comments: David appears to be very young and looks somewhat feminine. Although he was very young he was courageous, he defied all odds when he slayed Goliath. In accordiance to the size of David the head of Goliath seems to be small. I think that if the head were bigger then it would make the sculpture more realistic and significant.
Name: Sarah
Date: 2003-10-17
Comments: I feel that in this statue we see the younger side of David. When i looked at a few other statues of David, for instance the one by Donatello, this statue seemed a little more realistic. Even though there is a little bit of feminism in the way this statue is built, Donatello's was so much more feminine and wasn't something i would have expected to portray David by the story. When comparing the two I found many differences in the fact that Verrocchio's statue is wearing some type of clothing, David is holding a dagger, and his hair is kind of long but not so long that it really looks like a woman's. In Donatello's David has no clothes on, but instead a pair of boots and a hat that looks like a womans, a sword much longer than the dagger in Verrocchio's, and his hair is long like a woman's. This just showed me how different artists can view something and we can learn different aspects on each one. We can't limit ourselves to just one view of a piece of art, the assortment is what makes art interesting.
Name: Dustin Miles
Date: 2003-10-17
Comments: In this sculopting David has many girl like qualities. He is very skinny for one were you can see his rip-cage. Also he is standing like a girl. I do like how the left follows right into the right arm were he is carring the sword. David is very boyish. maybe he was trying to show how the brians over bronze will win every time.
Name: Eric
Date: 2003-10-20
Comments: David looks as if he is in his early 20's. He looks like he is very confident, while he stands over top of Goliath.
Name: mcquicker
Date: 2003-12-23
Comments: For those that don't know, the model for Verrochio's "David" was 15 year old, Leonardo da Vinci.
McQ
Name: Duke
Date: 2004-03-01
Comments: I came to this site because I wanted to see alternatives to Michaelangelo's David. I thought his David was too muscular and looked like he lifted weights. The bible implies David was hansome but slight of form. God said that he looked not at the outside appearance but and what's inside. Michaelangelo's David catches the inner character of David in the head and face and his pose of confidence which comes from his faith in God. On the other hand, Verrocchio's shows a David who is young and slender of build and is probably more like the real David. He was also said to have a ruddy complexion. This isn't of course portrayed in either of these sculptures.
Name: RenaissanceFan
Date: 2004-10-13
Comments: First of all, I'd like to point out an interesting idea i've heard from many sources (i'm not SURE it's fact), and that is Verrochio used his YOUNG MALE apprentice, Leonardo da Vinci as a model. Again, not positive about this info as a fact, but I've seen it from many sources. Also, You have to understand Renaissance art, it wasn't really SUPPOSED to epitomized David as a biblical hero, but as a hero of man defeating a being greater tham himself. That is why, the further the renaissance progresses, the LESS feminine and young David looks and the less accurtate it is to the Bible it becomes. The final popular David was Michelangelo's, and that sculpture bears little resmeblence to the Biblical character, but shows in EVERYWAY the traits of Classical Humanism and Scientfic Naturalism that the Renaissance held so dear. Verrochio's make look feminine to many of you, but it looks quite manly compared with Donatello's earlier one. The David sculptures of the Renaissance were not SUPPOSED to show the biblical figure, but to say "look, here is man defeating a supposed superior. Look, isn't man wonderful?"
