The Renaissance period of art heavily emphasized realism, putting great effort into depicting human anatomy, human emotion, and human expression in both paintings and sculptures. It also focused on balance and symmetry within the art, and took much inspiration from ancient Rome and Greece, forming its classical ideals. Even so, the subjects of these pieces were frequently biblical in nature, depicting famous saints, Jesus and the Virgin Mary, and other famous scenes from the Bible. There was an increase in naturalism due to advances in perspective and human anatomy, depicting the figures with a life-likeness like no other. The usage of marble allowed the artists to show expressiveness to a degree that wasn’t previously possible, further contributing …show more content…
The biggest difference between them is the moment of the battle that is being depicted. Donatello has David standing victoriously post-battle, the head of his foe laying at his feet. His posture is rather feminine in nature but reflects the ideal nude male of the time. Michelangelo decides to show David moments before the battle begins. He stands mightily, if not pensively, with only his sling in one hand. Here, David is on the verge of adulthood, bearing all of the features of the ideal human figure at the time: muscular structure, balance with weight on one hip, oval face, and triangular forehead. The David is the embodiment of the height of artistic ability and technique of the high Renaissance that Michelangelo represented. The Mannerism period, or the Late Renaissance, is a time where artists began to pursue the incorporation of novelty and complexity in art works. Some of the more peculiar things to come from this developed style is the distorted anatomy, often seen in the elongated limbs of figures. This allowed said figures to be placed in complex poses and postures that wouldn’t have been possible with proper