|
Hi,
I saw Michelangelo’s David in Florence last week.
After allowing the initial awe to settle, I had space to really look at it.
There are many reasons for humans to be drawn to it over the last half a millennium; the scale of David; the technical mastery; the biblical story behind it; the uncanny pose of the statue, and so on.
These things did hit me. But as time passed, I began to notice things that escaped initial inspection.
The subtle sweep of the vastus medialis and lateralis muscles outlining the legs.
The extensor carpi radialis of his left forearm.
The slight protrusion of the external jugular vein.
The level of detail and execution, such as the disproportionately large hands, gives David a super-real presence that all people can appreciate.
Many of the details are so slight as to escape conscious noticing, but are crucial in the final impression.
This requires such a high level anatomical understanding, not expressed in showy exaggeration, but hinted at in a subtle shadows here and there.
It’s taken me a full medical degree and years of working as a doctor to even notice and appreciate the anatomical fidelity here.
To be able to produce it, in harmony with all the other elements of David, is quite unimaginable to me.
When people are paying millions of dollars in art auctions for a banana duct taped to a wall, I feel we may have lost our way a bit.
I’m willing to bet, the difference in mastery means only one of these will be viewed for centuries to come.
There are no shortcuts.
|
