The Youthful David: A Reflection
Andrea del Castagno’s The Youthful David aka David with the Head of Goliath is truly a unique work of art. It is one of a kind in that it is the only painted shield that can be attributed to a master artist (Art in Tuscany, 2012). The artist’s chosen subject is the biblical story of the young Sheppard boy David who fights and defeats the giant Philistine warrior Goliath. This masterpiece was done in tempera on leather over a wooden shield. It is a product of the early Renaissance, ca. 1450. The shield measures 115.5 x 76.5 cm over all width at the top and 115.5 x 40.6 cm over all width at the bottom (National Gallery of Art, 2012).
The Youthful David was probably commissioned by a ...
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Florence to Italy’s giants. The painting’s message was clear; not to underestimate them less the more powerful suffer Goliath’s fate (Art in Tuscany, 2012). In essence, this was their stone in a sling aimed at the Pope, Aragon (the king of Naples), Ludovico Sforza (the duke of Milan) and the doge of Venice.
Painted during the early Renaissance, Andrea del Castagno’s The Youthful David exhibits the stylization and human ideal that epitomizes art from that era, as well as other various aspects typical of early Renaissance art. David is depicted as youthful and serene, but in action. He is going through the motion of swinging his loaded sling, his hair and clothing rippling in the wind. Goliath’s grotesque, severed head lies at David’s feet. The coupling of action and consequence, which was common of early renaissance artists (National Gallery of Art, 2012), gives the audience a summation of the popular Bible story; a threat rises, a hero emerges, the hero conquers the threat. ...
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as the medium, which is especially useful when the artist’s goal is to let the history of the painting show through. A green under painting, albeit slight so as not to age David, is apparent, which is typical of traditional tempera paintings.
The first thing that strikes me about The Youthful David is its unusual shape. The National Gallery of Art is filled with room after room of paintings done on rectangular supports. After a while, I am sad to say, some tend to blend together. Until, that is, I see Andrea del Castagno’s masterpiece. Done on a shield that is all most four feet high and over thirty inches across its widest point, The Youthful David makes an impression. The next ...
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"The Youthful David: A Reflection." Essayworld.com. April 30, 2013. Accessed April 24, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Youthful-David-A-Reflection/102619.
"The Youthful David: A Reflection." Essayworld.com. April 30, 2013. Accessed April 24, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Youthful-David-A-Reflection/102619.
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