Architecture and Sculpture

Paper Summary:

This paper compares two famous works of art - one sculpture and one of architecture. It examines Michelangelo's sculpture of "David" and the architecture of Chartres' "Cathedral." It compares their structure, materials, function, how they were constructed, the type of structure, their purpose and the length of time it took to construct them. The paper also compares them with regard to proportion and their similarities in characteristics of visual and design elements.

From the Paper:

"As to function, they provoke the same sentiment: awe. The "David" looks down briefly upon the viewer and one's eyes wander to his hands or arm or slingshot and one marvels at the holiness of God. The same may be said of the cathedral. When one stands in the entrance and views the enormity of the vault, the lights and color of the stained glass windows, and how constructed (Spiro 335), one wants to remain in the atmosphere, All the parts work together to bring about a sensation of holiness and awe. The central nave is in the shape of a cross, with the top of the cross at the altar and the two arms stretched out on either side. The cathedral was assembled from millions of stones, which were then laid, or installed on the site where it was needed. The "David" material (a large piece of marble and a slingshot in his hand,) is simply a single piece of marble."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Frazier, Nancy. The Penguin Concise Dictionary of Art History. New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc. 2000.
• Kostof, Spiro. A History of Architecture. New York: Oxford University Press, 1985.
• Levoy, Mark. A 3D-computer model of the head of Michelangelo's David, 1999 Stanford Computer Graphics Laboratory, http://graphics.stanford.edu/projects/mich/head-of-david/.

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• Term Paper # 58644 : "The Evolution of Greek Art and Architecture"

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