Michelangelo and Vanessa Beecroft

Two artists from complete different time periods when both creating their artwork, how audience responses differ from the original intentions of the artist include, Michelangelo’s ‘David’ and Vanessa Beecroft’s ‘White Madonna and the Twins’.

Between the years of 1501 and 1504 one of art-history greatest masterpieces, Michelangelo’s “David was created. Michelangelo’s sculpture was inspired by the story of a young shepherd boy who is willing to fight a giant, in order to save his people from invasion. David defeats Goliath by using courage and skills rather than using weapons. The time period that it was created was the Renaissance and was thought to be the rebirth of the man’s life on earth. Through the sculpture of “David” Michelangelo expressed Renaissance period and gave a sense on the different lifestyle. From the Renaissance view men were not seen as weak or in need of help, they were portrayed as strong and pushing for success. In Michelangelo’s piece men were portrayed as healthy, beautiful, rational and competent and give the viewers an insight to the heroic view of men. The view of men was not constricted to authority; instead the man’s mind was now seen to be able to understand the universe. Men were now worthy and capable of great achievement and were seen as beautiful, heroic and rational. Rather than many previous artists, Michelangelo made the decision of not showing David in victory, rather showing him prior to the fight. This highlights the conscious choices that David makes, and how he undergoes them. David is looking over his right shoulder, which shows he was looking for Goliath off into the distance.  

Today audiences respond to this piece of work as a corrupt being, ugly, trapped in an inexplicable world and his own destiny is not in his control. Therefore, thought the eyes of Modernists the man and his values are not thought out to be a serious topic for art. Through ‘David’ Michelangelo explores the imperfections of men. He does this...