Michelangelo and Sculpture

Our fifth graders are currently studying the Italian Renaissance with a focus on Michelangelo. We have been talking about sculpture and how Italian sculptors championed the use of contrapposto to create the illusion of motion in their marble figures. Below is an example of contrapposto, or the shifting of weight in a figure, exhibited by Donatello's Saint Mark, ca.1411-1413.

We also reviewed the use of chiaroscuro, or the treatment of light and shadow in a composition, as well as disegno, or drawing used as design for completed works.  Below left, Caravaggio's Calling of St. Matthew exhibits dramatic use of chiaroscuro, while below right, Da Vinci's drawing for Madonna and Child exhibits the use of disegno.

Finally, we introduced our next project, a "disegno" like, full value drawing of a profile of the head of Michelangelo's David. Our fifth graders are so excited for this project!