The Grecian gods, the Christian God(s?), and David

By no means to I mean to offend any of my Roman Catholic brethren and sisters.  I am fully aware that Firenze was under papal influence and I do not intend at ALL to insinuate these peoples as beyond Christianity, polytheists, or pagans.  That being said, I've seen too many Davids in Firenze to not catch on to the trend.  The Greeks often times would claim a patron god in attempts to claim protection from all sorts of offenses, both natural and human caused disasters.  This kind of act has had an ebb and flow of devotion throughout the years but it has never become truly as potent nor realized to me until my interaction with it in Firenze.  Here is a replica of the most famous David statue, Michelangelo's very Grecian nude.

As one can likely surmise, the figure stood at about the proportion of three and a half regular Firenzians' heights.   This depiction of the King of the Jews, David, is a man uncircumcised, standing at some 17 + feet high!  Perhaps somewhat austere in his garb (clutching solely his sling) this view of David has a man whose hands and feet by far out-proportion the other components of his body.  This exists in good accord with many of the Renaissance sculptures we found in Firenze.  Large appendages seem to be common in the study of producing a figure who will appear in proportion from a distance.  This is a clear portrayal of the science of art and perspective so common to the Renaissance hard at work.  Though the perfection and intentional appearance of the rest of the sculpture perhaps lends credence to the thought that the enlarged hands and feet serve as expressions of the humanist tendencies of the Renaissance thinkers.  Perhaps the enlarged hands portray a belief in the capability of humanity to reach the status of godhood?  Whatever the reason, it seems far from a mistake rather an intentional product of the sculptor. It makes the original all the more impressive to recognize that its source was a flawed piece of granite!  A daunting product indeed when we recognize the flawed source could have led to a much more difficult construction of the statue; destruction of the entire piece hinged upon the false movement and incorrect placement of but one chisel.

We see too that the godlike status that the patron representative (god) of Firenze has adopted a bit of variance in expression, though scarcely departing from the Renaissance background.  David is seen as a prime example of the capability of humanity to reach near divine status, to be a man after the heart of God, to unite the 12 discordant tribes of Israel, to reign forever strong in guiding the kingdom of Israel: this is the man in the bible chosen to represent Firenze, the center of the Renaissance.  Their protection of the love of God, their belief in human capability, and their affluence all lead to close appreciation and affiliation with the figure that David is.  Perhaps this could be seen as less secular, since this is a biblical figure, but this trend might be an embodiment of that very secularism!  This is a David oft removed from his background story.  This David is a character of strength, of potency, meant not so much as a reminder of the church but a reminder of the potency of the city of Firenze.  He then embodies civic pride and connects a different kind of historical self consciousness for the Florentine public.  "We are living out the Golden Age of Israel here in Firenze in this time," the David(s) scream.  This kind of connection with and appreciation for a more historical David over the theological David also lends itself to reclaiming portions of history and having a deep appreciation for the past.  Because this and so many other Davids found themselves established apart from the church, it is all the more convincing of their secularism.

The other Davids, though perhaps not as tall and intimidating as Michelangelo's David (and the Grecian god statues it reminds me of) still contain rich symbolism that lean towards a Renaissance mindset.  Even if cast in bronze (confusingly more expensive and "valuable" than the marble carvings!) the boyish long haired David of Donatello is a depiction of class, strength and power.  The small boy steps his foot triumphantly upon the head of the slain Goliath after all!  This boy, sporting the hat more common to Renaissance Firenze than the time of the Ancient Israelites suggests a kind of anachronistic and well intended historical reclamation of the Davidic figure.  Perhaps in the same vein, I distinctly recall one marble David depicted with both his pointer and index finger extended from both hands.  This might not seem too odd, till we recognize that this statue was commissioned by one of the main powers of Florence, a bishop!  As such, the David's depiction betrays perhaps some kind of Christian claim on the Davidic figure; mayhaps even in attempts to contest the secular claims to the figure.  It could even be an implied blessing on the city of Frienze, since this is often the hand symbol given when priests bless.

The true nature of the David-craze of Renaissance Florence will perhaps elude us for some time.  David is something of a symbol for the city, though one wonders how much David began to embody the protectorate role for the city in a similar fashion to the Greeks who proceeded them.  Was David the embodiment of humanism in Florence or something more?  Perhaps an imitation enacted in the same fashion that the oh-so admired Greeks so often did with Athena in Athens?  We may never know but it is worth some consideration.