Moving on from ’David’, this next sculptor is of another opposition between bodies – creating a twisted form.
Giambologna Samson Slaying a Philistine 1562
“Samson Slaying a Philistine”
This sculpture made by Giambologna was create in Florence, Italy in 1562. It towers at 210cm tall which is equivalent to 6.8ft. It is now at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London as of 1954.
Giambologna (Giovanni da Bologna)
After his studies aided by architect-scultpor Jacques du Broeucq in Antwerp, he moved to Italy and studied in Rome, creating a detailed study of the sculpture of classical antiquity. Influenced by Michelangelo, Giambologna developed his own Mannerist style - emphasising refined surfaces, beauty and cool elegance. He became a well known artist for a fine sense of action and movement, and a refined, differentiated surface finish He was commissioned by Francesco de’ Medici to make ”Samson Slaying a Philistine” in 1562. It is the only monumental sculpture by Giambologna ever to have left Florence and shows two nude men in combat, representing Samson slaying a Philistine, an episode from the Old Testament ‘Book of Judges’. ‘And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put fourth his hand and took it and slew a thousand men therewith’ The group bears the weathered remains of the sculptor's usual signature on the strap across Samson's chest.
”Samson and Delilah” Peter Paul Rubens (1609-1610) Oil on panel (185 x 205cm
In this depiction of the story of Samson (Old Testament, Judgres 16: 17-20), Rubens has painted a sleeping Samson upon the bosom his beloved Delilah. He is unaware that she is working for his enemy – the Philistines. He told her the secret of his enormous strength: his uncut hair, but when he fell asleep, the Philistines jumped to it and quickly chopped his hair. In the background, there is a statue of Venus and Cupid present, a common symbol for love, but also present, the crossed hands of a philistine with a pair of scissors which stands for deceit. Samson was drained of his strength and the Philistines were able to capture him. Eager Philistines wait at the door for an opportunity. Rubens made this painting for Nicolaas Rockox, an alderman in Antwerp, for his town house. It was acquired by the National Gallery in 1980. The older woman directly behind Delilah proves that youthfulness fades, a reference to Samson's death.
The spiralling movement of the bodies means that there is no view – we are able to see intricacy within all 360 degree angles. The dramatic pose is based on a composition by Michelangelo. The group was carved from one block of marble, supported by fine narrow points. The marble is weathered from three centuries outdoors, but it still shows Gimabologna’s detailed carving. The sculpture is a good example of the multiple viewpoints seen in Giambologna’s work. There is no single viewpoint. This contrasts with the work of the later sculpture Bernini. His monumental works almost invariably have only one viewpoint. Despite the fact that the marble is weathered, the carving of the skin, facial features and hair appear life like to this day.
This painting shows multiple bodies strewn across one another, representing the ‘twisting’ theme.
Bronzino An Allegory with Venus and Cupid 1544-1545
Agnolo di Cosmio – Bronzino (1503 - 1572)
This painting was created in 1545 and measures 146.1cm x 116.2cm. This is a real life scale, intended to intimidate and make viewers feel as if they are a part of the scene. Oil is the medium that was used here and it was painted in many layers onto panel. It is now in the National Gallery in London. Parmigianino: ‘Madonna and Child with St John and St Jerome’, 1527
Bronzino was a Florentine Mannerist painter. He spent his entire life living in Florence and from his late 30s was commissioned to be the court painter of Cosmio I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. His specialist area was portraiture, however he also painted many religious subjects and some allegorical subjects – such as his famous “An Allegory with Venus and Cupid”.
“An Allegory with Venus and Cupid”
Bronzino trained with Pontormo, the leading Florentine painter of the first generation of Mannerism. His style was immediately influenced by him, but Bronzino involved elegance and emotion into his work otherwise lacking by his teacher. Mannerism
Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, lasting until about 1580 when the Baroque style began to replace it. Mannerism is a culmination of art which originated as a reaction to the harmonious classicism and the idealized naturalism of High Renaissance art as practiced by Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael in the first two decades of the 16th century.
Mannerism in Painting 1510-1527
Raphael: ‘Transfiguration’, 15171520
Mannerists sought a continuous refinement of form and concept, pushing exaggeration and contrast to great limits. The results included strange and constricting spatial relationships, jarring juxtapositions of intense and unnatural colours, an emphasis on abnormalities of scale, a sometimes totally irrational mix of classical motifs and other visual references to the antique, and inventive and grotesque pictorial fantasies.
An ’Allegory’ is a word used to describe a piece of artwork which has a hidden meaning.
This painting is Asymmetrically disordered like Pullock:
This painting is not Symmetrical unlike Fancesca: By not being Symmetrical implies a literal sense to the phrase ’disordered painting’. The composition is disorganised, much like the events that are taking place. This asymmetrically indicates there is something more that the traditional allegory of love = pleasure and pain. In traditional Western painting, you can identify the characters in each story by their attributes. Attributes are the symbols carried by each character that allows the viewer to identify them, St Catherine will always have the wheel she was martyred on etc.
Twisting is evident throughout this composition - everywhere the viewer looks there is a new turn (literally and physically) to the story being told in this painting.
Pietro de Lignis: ‘The Martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria’ - 1607
Cupid and his arrow
The nude here is Venus, the golden apple from Paris shows this. Her ear and their cheeks are the only things that have warmth. The rest of the figures are a cool grey-white.
The hourglass behind this man signifies time, passing, as the timer is captured in motion.
Comedy and tragedy
These two doves signify lovers
This boy is scattering rose petals (a symbol for Venus) with a smirk across his face. This is contradicting as appears to be stood on a thorn: the strings of love? The other background figures don’t have the traditional attributes so it is difficult to identify them.
Possibly truth or falsehood, the mask is a representation of a face. This figure could be trying to cover up the scene and being prevented by time, or the other way around.
This figure may be portraying jealousy or Envy.
A girl's face is depicted but her body ends in the legs of a lion and a scaly serpent's tail. She extends a honeycomb with her left hand, some sort of sting at the end of her tail in the right which is possibly the figure of Deceit.
Altogether we have a an unsettling and unhappy group of figures to be attending Venus the Goddess of Love. Cupid is Venus’ son, and the nature of their embrace has a sense of unreality about it. A mother is not usually in such an intimate position with her son and therefore this is transgression on a grand scale. Transgression being a violation of one of God's ten commandments, this is matched by the nature of the asymmetrically challenging compositions.
However, there is another theory about what this painting might actually represent. A new sexually transmitted disease was raging across Europe in the early 16th century called Syphilis. The boy has stood on a thorn, yet he is smiling. That might mean his foot is numb, and that he is suffering a condition called tabes dorsalis - a symptom of syphilis. Tabes dorsalis occurs in untreated syphilis in which nerves degenerate.
This figure seems to represent the early symptoms of the disease. A disease that may have been caused by a polluted, transgressive Venus, or a disease caused by a toxic, illicit love affair. The full title of this painting extends to ”…Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time” which indicates that this artwork is hugely based around time. Yet the National Gallery title it without those last two names as viewers are unsure to this day who the other figures identities are. This painting shows the different stages of love and what forbidden love can do to a man – what changes them over time. If you take advantage of the pleasures in life you can be revealed to be full of despair and anguish.
The next two examples further display figures in marble in twisting positions.
Bernini David/Apollo and Daphne 1622-1625
“Apollo and Daphne� The Baroque Art movement lasted approximately from 1600 - 1700 and Gian Lorenzo Bernini played a huge part in this era. This Bernini sculpture was made from Carrara marble and is 243cm.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598 - 1680)
His father was a sculptor himself allowing Bernini to therefore begin work as an independent artist. His first works were inspired by Hellenistic sculpture of ancient Greece. He is known as a Famous Baroque artist, capturing the moment of the narrative. His work appeals to the viewers emotions and senses as it is very dramatic within the sense of movement he creates. Like his face here, after he put his hand in a flame to see his face. He was also an architect.
Self Portrait
The drapery of Apollo's tunic seems to move with the action and Bernini succeeds in making solid marble appear light and billowing.
Apollo is based on an ancient ( before Christ) example called the Apollo Belvedere – but Bernini gives it a sense of emulating and going beyond antiquity.
Subject from a Roman poet Ovid and his book Metamorphoses, where a nymph Daphne is turned into a laurel tree while Apollo is in amorous pursuit of her. Apollo is one of the most complex and important gods. Mainly the Greek God of the Sun, and is the god of many things, including: music, poetry, art, and knowledge. Both figures do not engage with the viewer and each others bodies are twisting together. Figures are shown in dramatic a movement where the drama is emphasised by strong diagonals of limbs (like ‘David’)
Apollo and Daphne is a complex composition of human and natural forms and both figures have an open pose. Apollo is shown pursuing Daphne, with her elaborately transforming into a tree. Both figures have accurately observed anatomical details and the natural forms are also well observed.
Moment of transformation is shown and Daphne cries out in surprise and alarm. Marked differences between the handling of the flesh, the hair and the bark and leaves of the laurel.
Bernini David 1623-24 White marble 170cm - life size
David has an open pose shown with his sling shot in the midst of slinging the rock. He does not engage with the viewer and his facial expression and pose reflect determination. A sense of drama is emphasised by strong diagonals of limbs and the figure is shown in dramatic movement. The figure is accurately observed with Carrara marble associated with nobility, heroism and status. Renaissance art was usually showed the moment before an event took place, in this case, Baroque artists and Bernini chose the most dramatic point. When looking at Bernini's David, we immediately start to feel what David is feeling. This sympathy is very important to emotion portrayed in Baroque art. This sculpture tells the story of David in a biblical aspect, from the old testament, who is soon to be King David. David has seen Goliath of Gath, and in the story of Samuel, young David defeats Goliath. This sculpture of David shows him to be aiming his stone slingshot at Goliath (who isn't seen here). David kills Goliath with a single blow wearing no armor as the power of God has helped him. There is a forceful diagonal to the body that is twisted, as his left arm stretches over his torso and his legs are spread widely.
David’s position is somewhat like a spring - he is wound up and ready to release. His face has an incredible look of determination upon it. Concentration is implied in the way that he is biting his lip, and by the way his eyebrows are pushed together. Overall, this sculpture holds a great psychological insight. David twists out into the viewers space, making us feel as though we need to duck out of the way of his mighty stride. A physical tension is constructed through the physical form and also through the treatment of the surface.