Statues are three-dimensional objects.
SEEING THE STATUES FIRST HAND
Michelangelo's David
Our class viewed pictures of sculptures in class, but it was a much different experience to view these sculptures in person. The obvious example is David by Michelangelo. First off, the sheer size of it cannot be captured through pictures. One only feels the sense of power the statue can convey to its audience when viewed in person. But not only can one not fully grasp the size of the sculpture through pictures, but also one is unable to examine the detail of the statue as well. We were taken aback to see how Michelangelo was able to show detail that other sculptures could not--we saw how Michelangelo was able to sculpt the veins of David and small bones jutting from David's hands and arm. We compared them to our arms and saw how Michelangelo truly paid attention to every detail of the human body. David was also meant to be placed upon a rooftop. When viewed directly ahead, one can notice the disproportions of the sculptures arms and limbs. This is because when viewed from under, the arms appear as smaller, so Michelangelo had to create them larger to create a correct sense of proportion. We never thought about how sculptors must keep this in mind when sculpting, so this brought new insight for us.
Viewing the sculptures in person also allows the viewer to more fully understand the context of the sculpture. For example, when we learned about Donatello's David statue, we learned about how the statue was provocative since the statue depicts David as boyish and has homosexual undertones. Many of the sculptures were risqué in content. But most of these sculptures showed either nude grown men or women. When we saw Donatello's David juxtaposed next to all of the other statues, we were truly able to see how different the statue was compared to the others. There was no other statue that had such gender ambiguity as this David statue. Donatello's other statues were also on display, including his first marble David statue, so it was interesting to see the great departure the bronze David was from Donatello's usual style. Our experience in Florence and Rome demonstrates that there is much more to glean from a piece of art, especially the art of sculpting, when the art is viewed in person.
-Kunal and Sunny
Viewing the sculptures in person also allows the viewer to more fully understand the context of the sculpture. For example, when we learned about Donatello's David statue, we learned about how the statue was provocative since the statue depicts David as boyish and has homosexual undertones. Many of the sculptures were risqué in content. But most of these sculptures showed either nude grown men or women. When we saw Donatello's David juxtaposed next to all of the other statues, we were truly able to see how different the statue was compared to the others. There was no other statue that had such gender ambiguity as this David statue. Donatello's other statues were also on display, including his first marble David statue, so it was interesting to see the great departure the bronze David was from Donatello's usual style. Our experience in Florence and Rome demonstrates that there is much more to glean from a piece of art, especially the art of sculpting, when the art is viewed in person.
-Kunal and Sunny
Perspective of David
When we visited the Academia, we were able to see the real David statue by Michelangelo. When we walked into the room with the David, the statue took your breath away. David was at the center of the back area of the room, with the light directing the viewer to the statue. He was way larger than we expected. His contrapposto pose made a greater effect on the feelings the viewer is supposed to experience when viewing this piece. The sculpture was originally supposed to be placed on the roofline of the cathedral and viewed from far below; however, on the pedestal in the Accademia, the viewer looks at the statue from a more direct angle. This makes the disproportions in his body much more noticeable. It is easy to see the unusually large hands and head. His torso is also too long compared to his legs. We also noticed how ugly the feet of David and most of the painting and sculptures we viewed were. These traits were not nearly as obvious when looking simply at the pictures.
-Becky and Patrick
-Becky and Patrick
CONTEXT GIVES ART FAR GREATER MEANING
One very important reason visiting a historic site such as Florence or Rome was better than simply looking at pictures and panoramas was context: When we were in class, all the pictures we saw were more or less separate entities from one another, with no real connection other than an idea; going to Florence and Rome meant seeing not only the statues in all their glory but also where they were located in relation to one another and the populace. Seeing the architecture of the old city was also important. Having all this extra context with which to view the statues gave the them far greater meaning and importance than the pictures we saw in the classroom. For example, take the statue of the Rape of the Sabine Women in the Loggia in the Piazza della Signoria; viewing the piece alone, you can only analyze the piece alone, but going to the Loggia meant seeing it in context with the largest and most public meeting place in the city, as well as the republic's government building. Why was the statue placed there, and when? Was the statue created as an unspoken message? In the classroom, answers to these questions are spoken and have to be taken on faith, but in person, one can quite literally see the answers to these questions.
-Sam
-Sam
Statues, statues, and more statues
There was not a place in Florence that you could go and not be able to see a sculpture, whether they were perched up inside some building, sitting in the middle of the square or placed inside buildings, but I am not complaining! They were all so magnificent that it was difficult not to be caught with your mouth hanging open at the sight of them. In pictures you only get a small glimpse at how large and detailed they are, but seeing them right before your eyes allows you to analyze every single detail and meaning of the piece. For example, in this picture of Benvenuto Cellini's Perseus and Medusa, you can only barely see the outlines of all of his muscles. In person, it is possible to see each muscle tendon and ligament that was meant to represent the perfect male in Renaissance Florence. Not only does his body perfectly mimic a real man, but the satisfaction on his face after having just slayed Medusa is so lifelike that you think he could be a real person standing before you. Cellini did not waste any of his effort in making this an outstanding piece of art. Also, its location in the Loggia at the Piazza della Signoria is perfect because it is perched up higher than the ground where you would see it from. In this way it makes the viewer feel as if Perseus is looking down on them in particular as if to say, "Look what I accomplished; You don't want to mess with me!" It truly was an astounding piece!
-Tailor
-Tailor
The Emotion becomes real
We grow up learning about famous sculptors like Michelangelo, Donatello, Ghiberti, Giambologna- all of whom lived between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. They reflect the classical techniques and styles of the rediscovered ancient Greek and Roman statues. We've all heard about Michelangelo's marble sculpture, David. Looking at photographs he looked clean, small, and slightly masculine for other figures of this time. Once you've seen him in person you're conclusions have changed- you can see the detail in the work including the carved veins and definition in the abdomen, legs, and arms. You can also see the chisel marks from Michelangelo giving it a more realistic feeling. The huge mass towers over you, making you realize the great impact it had to the Florentines and the sense of power it created. Another fabulous sculpture from this time is Giambologna's Rape of the Sabine Women. This also was a massive structure with a depiction of a mythological scene that is a great demonstration of movement and emotion. Looking at pictures you're only able to see one view of the work, and viewing it in person allows you to walk around it and really see all the detail and effort that was put into the piece as well as allowing you to grasp the mood and tone that Giambologna wanted for the work.
-Kayla & Connie
-Kayla & Connie