ead beneath his left foot. David himself seems to be modeled after a boy who developed his stomach more than his muscles (Grassi 72). Even though David has been captured after the act of slaying Goliath, visually he seems barely strong enough to lift the sword at his side. His whole body is a little swollen and his toes are bent as if his shoes are putting pressure on them. The sword he holds in his right hand seems to be resting in a very loose grip, rather than being held in place. David stands on a circular garland with one foot on Goliaths helmeted, severed head. Goliaths helmet, in part, is a relief of a scene representing Cupid and Psysche drawn in a chariot by the Loves (Janson 87). Some scholars speculate that Donatellos composition of David influenced Ghibertis statuette of Samson, as they both have the same lithe body stance and similar leg positioning (Janson 87). "Donatellos David is a sculpture whose figure is so natural in its vivacity, and in the softness of the flesh, that is seems to be the artificers as though it must be cast from life (Cruttwell 84).During the Italian Renaissance, Donatello was considered more of a modern artist, but his David has a very classical style. "My own impression is that it was executed soon after the Roman visit, since it shows, in spite of certain realisms in the treatment, a strong impression of antique sculpture" (Cruttwell 83). David is unlike most of Donatellos works for this very reason. Donatello, as discussed earlier, struggled to free himself from the rules set forth by his predecessors. Davids return to the classical style causes much speculation about the time of its casting. This completely different approach to sculpture makes it difficult for scholars to chronologically arrange Donatellos work. Some think it was crafted after Donatellos stay in Padua, Italy. Others, like Janson and Cruttwell, believe Donatello sculpted David in the early 1430s. Either way,...
