Speaking to BBC Culture, Florence-based sculptor, teacher, art historian and host of the podcast The Sculptor’s Funeral, Jason Arkles, is clearly in second camp. There is no sexual aspect other than being there,” he says. “Art is meaningless without context. If you don’t understand why a sculpture was made, you’re missing out on a large part of the story.” he emphasizes “They are not mere objects of beauty or means of self-expression.”
Much has been said about the voluptuous feathers that run down David’s inner thigh, but Arkless’ description as a sculptor is much more practical. Completely hidden within the figure itself. The wings that run up the legs simply strengthen the weakest part of the sculpture. Donatello probably just “climbed over some technical hurdles,” he says.
beauty line
Sixty years later, Michelangelo supported Naked David in a similar location, sculpting a tree stump behind one leg in an otherwise empty tableau. Goliath disappears from the work, and the main character, a boy who summons his courage and challenges the battle, attracts attention. Donatello’s life-size bronze raised eyebrows, while Michelangelo’s oversized David (1501-4), the most famous of Davids, also rose to prominence when marble sculptures took center stage in Florence’s main piazza. elicited a strong response to
