t of Goliath, just before a battle for life and death. He has thrown down the armor the warriors gave him, since he is not used to wearing heavy armor, and is only using the slingshot to attempt to hit the giant. David gathered momentum, as he is taking aim, before throwing the stone at Goliath, who is at some distance from David at this moment of the fight, so his figure is not included in the statue. David’s body expresses the great physical strain he is under, and his face expresses his determination and concentration (“David”). At David's feet is a half-covered harp, which is not part of the biblical description of the fight. It is rather a symbolic representation of part of David's life. As a young boy, David was a harp player and a shepherd. When his people asked him to fight Goliath, he was forced to throw down his music for a short time and pick up the armor of a warrior. However, he also threw down the armor, according to the Bible, to return to what he knew, using only his slingshot to win the battle. Following the battle, David was able to return to his music, using his harp to compose the psalms during the latter part of his life. The harp is half covered because his absence from his music was only brief, and Bernini wanted to show that. (“David”). “One fact of Bernini's great genius should be pointed out. Almost all statues, which preceded his, stood self contained, insulated, and apart from the spectator. Bernini causes the viewer to become a part of his David statue. He who looks at this giant slayer senses Goliath standing behind and above his shoulder. The viewer is almost prompted to move from the path of the projectile. The space in front of the statue becomes a part of the concept” (“238David”). The tension of the twisted body shows the force that David is ready to release. His foot grips the base of the statue to withstand the strain in the body. The action ...
