The great biblical hero “David” has been represented many times throughout the history of art, and two famous examples of “David” were sculpted by both Michelangelo and Bernini. When sculpting a similar subject matter, there will often be comparable characteristics, but between the different stylistic periods of the Baroque and the High Renaissance, there become noticeable aspects that differentiate them.

Known as the first large marble nude to be sculpted since the classical antiquity, Michaelangelo’s "David" was completed in the High Renaissance, with embodiment of the Neoplatonic Ideal.
The 14 foot tall sculpture depicts a popular subject in Florentine art, by pridefully representing the city’s patron saint. Completed in 1504, at the age of 24, Michaelangelo’s “David” is widely respected as one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of art. The city of Florence commissioned Michelangelo, which gave him a giant slab of improper marble, previously abandoned. Against expectations, he turned it into a timeless memorial of Florence’s Old Testament hero. …show more content…
The biblical hero, “David,” was depicted in a Baroque moment, which does not focus on pre-action, but mid-action or mid-narration. David is represented at a moment of maximum torque, with all previous tension released; he is explosive, full of motion, and emotion. With his lips pressed, brows furrowed, and torso twisted, he is ready to unleash his slingshot on the Goliath. Bernini’s “David” is evocative of Hellenistic Greek sculpture, and exemplifies the subject matter of all regional styles of Baroque