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In the Michelangelo, Selected Scholarship in English, author David

Summers evaluates the similarities between Michelangelo’s David and the

physical features described by physiognomy. In chapter eight, “David’s Scowl”,

Summers specifically examines the possibility that Michelangelo modeled the

David with “lion like” features and a “cloudy brow” to portray his invisible soul

with the qualities of the lion. Beyond the physical features are the

psychological implications regarding the soul and personality of Michelangelo.1

Summers’ argues that Michelangelo based David’s features, particularly

his “cloudy brow” on Physionomonica. He made many valid points including

the physiognomy description of courage (a lion) with their direct correlation in

David’s rendering. To validate this theory he states, “These descriptions (from

Physionomonica) not only agree with Michelangelo’s David, but they

correspond to some of its most outstanding characteristics: the broad

shoulders, back and chest, the relatively flat hips, the strong neck, large hands

and feet.”2 According to this theory one of the foremost characteristics in

common with a lion and a “courageous” man is a cloudy brow. This same

“cloudy brow”, a common feature in antiquity sculptures of heroes, was

considered to be a view into the soul of the man.3

1
David Summers. Michelangelo – Selected Scholarship in English (New York and London: Garland Publishing, Inc. 1995).
2
David Summers. Michelangelo – Selected Scholarship in English (New York and London: Garland Publishing, Inc. 1995).
3
David Summers. Michelangelo – Selected Scholarship in English (New York and London: Garland Publishing, Inc. 1995).
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In considering the soul of David, Summers quotes part of Petrach’s

sonnets; “is the vice of those who little consider the difficulty of some great act,

and presuming too much of their own powers, believe that they will easily

attain their end. Therefore it is shown by a youth who tries by his strength to

knock a firmly set column to the ground.”4 This quote is important as there is

reference made to the “cloudy brow” as an attitude of an Audacia, of

overcoming a feat much like Michelangelo overcoming the marble, masters of

antiquity sculpture, and art. More specifically important are Michelangelo’s

own quotes referring back to Audacia, “Broken is high the column and the

green {laurel}” and “David with his sling and I with my bow”. Even with this

compelling evidence, this may in fact be referring to Michelangelo’s personal

feelings regarding his accomplishment with the perfection in David rather than

a reference to Physiognomy.5

When considering the evidence provided by Summers, the correlation

between Physiognomy and David appears to be solid. In stepping back and

considering the entire picture, there are many other possibilities Summers did

not consider for the physical build and facial features of the David. To begin,

the piece of marble from which Michelangelo carved David was old, already

chiseled by other artists, probably brittle, and considered to be worthless

therefore it would have been challenging technically to carve. Secondly, many

of the features of David merely recall the masters of antiquity and improved on
4
David Summers. Michelangelo – Selected Scholarship in English (New York and London: Garland Publishing, Inc. 1995).
5
David Summers. Michelangelo – Selected Scholarship in English (New York and London: Garland Publishing, Inc. 1995).
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their form. David portrayed, as a male nude hero would have been a common

theme during antiquity. It is possible that Michelangelo, in order to make his

mark on the art world, would have wanted to surpass the work of the antiquity

masters. Further, the Summers’ observation in reference to David’s “lion-like”

hair could in fact be the artist’s portrayal of Alexander the Great, a well-known

hero during antiquity. This phenomenon would not be unusual as portraits

during antiquity often incorporated heroic qualities of Alexander in an attempt

to associate the subject with his power.6

Overall, Summers’ observation that the scowl and physical features of

Michelangelo’s David was influenced by Physionomonica is plausible. Yet in

relation to the Physionomonica, which he is attempting to prove, the prideful

nature of Michelangelo’s David may have been more a product of

Michelangelo’s lion-like nature rather than from physical attributes set out by

Physionomonica. The achievements in sculpture rendered in David made

Michelangelo victorious over not only a piece of marble, which was considered

worthless, but also over the master’s of antiquity.

6
Nancy H. Ramage and Andrew Ramage, Roman Art (New Jersey: Pearson Printice Hall, 2005): 81.
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Bibliography

Ramage, Nancy H., and Andrew Ramage. Roman Art (New Jersey: Pearson
Printice Hall, 2005).

Wallace, William E., ed. Michelangelo – Selected Scholarship in English (New

York & London: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1995).