Cleveland Museum of Art

David Triumphant over Goliath

Moderno

Date

late 1400s - early 1500s

Medium

bronze

Culture

Italy, late 15th-early 16th Century

Department

European Painting and Sculpture

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

A triumphant David, clad only in his helmet, stands next to the body of his opponent, the Philistine giant Goliath. David holds the sling that incapacitated the giant, allowing him to seize Goliath's sword and sever his head. On the right, a figure, possibly David's friend Jonathan, holds Goliath's body, while his severed head rests at David's feet. As his pseudonym may indicate, Moderno operated at the forefront of the classical revival in the early 1500s. David's body especially owes much to the classical tradition, with heroic frontal nudity that recalls ancient sculptures of ideal youths. The distinct lack of ornament, and the bold use of empty space characterize Moderno's style, where, instead of simply recreating classical prototypes, he reinterpreted and shifted them to produce dramatic compositions.

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