David

Michelangelo, 1504

Marble, height 434 cm

Galleria dell'Accademia

Michelangelo's David, finished by Michelangelo Buonarroti in 1504 (started in 1501) is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture and one of Michelangelo's two greatest works of sculpture, along with the Pietà. David portrays the Biblical David at the moment that he decides to engage Goliath. This 5.17 meter (17 ft) marble statue was commissioned as a symbol of the Florentine Republic. The completed sculpture was unveiled on September 8, 1504. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1071x2046, 363 KB) Description: Michelangelos David (original statue) Source: private photo Date: created 24. ... Michelangelo (full name Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni) (March 6, 1475 - February 18, 1564) was a Renaissance sculptor, architect, painter, and poet. ... Michelangelos David in the Tribuna that was built especially to house it The Accademia dell Arte del Disegno (Academy of Design) of Florence was the first academy of drawing in Europe. ... Michelangelo (full name Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni) (March 6, 1475 - February 18, 1564) was a Renaissance sculptor, architect, painter, and poet. ... Events January 1 - French troops surrender Gaeta to the Spanish under Cordoba. ... // Events Alexander becomes King of Poland. ... By region Italian Renaissance Spanish Renaissance Northern Renaissance French Renaissance German Renaissance English Renaissance The Renaissance, also known as Il Rinascimento (in Italian), was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ... Sculpture is a three-dimensional form created as an artistic expression. ... Sculpture is a three-dimensional form created as an artistic expression. ... This article is about the most famous Pietà Florentine Pietà (or Deposition), the Rondanini Pietà and the Palestrina Pietà The Pietà (1498–99) by Michelangelo is a marble sculpture in St. ... The Bible (sometimes The Book, Good Book, Word of God, The Word, or Scripture), from Greek (τα) βιβλια, (ta) biblia, (the) books, plural of βιβλιον, biblion, book, originally a diminutive of βιβλος, biblos, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos, meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported this writing material... This page is about the Biblical king David. ... David faces Goliath in single combat. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Florence (Italian, Firenze) is a city in the center of Tuscany, in central Italy, on the Arno River, with a population of around 400,000, plus a suburban population in excess of 200,000. ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... Events January 1 - French troops surrender Gaeta to the Spanish under Cordoba. ...

There are other statues of David; see the bottom of the article for details. Michelangelo's David is arguably the most famous among these, and is often referred to as "The David."

General History

Michelangelo's David is based on the artistic discipline of disegno, which is built on knowledge of the male human form. Under this discipline, sculpture is considered to be the finest form of art because it mimics divine creation. Because Michelangelo adhered to the concepts of disegno, he worked under the premise that the image of David was already in the block of stone he was working on — in much the same way as the human soul is thought to be found within the physical body. It is also an example of the contrapposto style of posing the human figure. Disegno is the design, usually in the form of a drawing, that the artist had in mind before beginning to carve or paint their work. ... The concept of the divine or of The Divine, meaning matters relating to a god, forms an important ingredient in many religious faiths (but compare Buddhism, for example, or Scientology). ... The soul, according to many religious and philosophical traditions, is the ethereal substance — spirit (Hebrew:rooah or nefesh) — particular to a unique living being. ... Contrapposto is an Italian word for counterpoise referring to an analytical sculptural technique in which the artist illustrates the natural counterbalance of the body through the bending of the hips in one direction and the legs in another direction. ...

The proportions are not quite true to the human form; the head and upper body are somewhat larger than the proportions of the lower body. While some have suggested that this is of the mannerist style, the most commonly accepted explanation is that the statue was originally intended to be placed on a church façade or high pedestal, and that the proportions would appear correct when the statue was viewed from some distance below. Mannerism is the usual English term for an approach to all the arts, particularly painting but not exclusive to it, a reaction to the High Renaissance, emerging after the Sack of Rome in 1527 shook Renaissance confidence, humanism and rationality to their foundations, and even Religion had split apart. ... West façade of the Notre-Dame de Strasbourg Cathedral A facade (or façade) is the exterior of a building – especially the front, but also sometimes the sides and rear. ... For the WWII naval operation, see Operation Pedestal Pedestal (from French piedestal, Italian piedestallo, foot of a stall) is a term generally applied to a support, square, octagonal or circular on plan, provided to carry a statue or a vase. ...

There is controversy, however, over the statue's supposed Biblical reference, since the statue portrays an uncircumcised male, whereas the historical King David was undoubtedly circumcised. Because of this fact, some art historians believe that "David" was actually the name of the model who posed for the statue, rather than King David himself, and that Michelangelo claimed the Biblical reference to make it acceptable to the Christian world. Again, this theory is merely speculation. The Bible (From Greek βιβλια—biblia, meaning books, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported papyrus) is the sacred scripture of Christianity. ... Circumcision is the removal of some or all of the foreskin (prepuce). ... This page is about the Biblical king David. ... This article is being rewritten at Circumcision/temp Circumcision is the removal of some or all of the prepuce or foreskin though often the frenulum is also excised. ... Art history usually refers to the history of the visual arts. ... As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ...

It has also been theorized that this was a conscientious decision, a consequence of Michelangelo's endeavor to emulate the ancient Greek aesthetic ideals, which regarded the circumcised penis as mutilated and inferior. The penis (plural penises) or phallus (plural phalli) is the external male sexual organ of some animals, and, in mammals, the external male organ of urination. ...

Detail of the David

The statue was originally placed in the Palazzo Vecchio, just in front of the Palazzo della Signoria. To protect it from damage, in 1873 it was moved to the Accademia Gallery in Florence, where it attracts many visitors. A replica was placed in the Piazza della Signoria in 1910. Subject: David by Michelangelo Location: Accademia Gallery, Florence Source: [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Subject: David by Michelangelo Location: Accademia Gallery, Florence Source: [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Palazzo della Signoria Palazzo della Signoria was the original name of the Palazzo Vecchio, before the government of the Republic of Florence was moved to the Uffizi under Cosimo I de Medici. ... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calaber). ... The Accademia dell Arte del Disegno (Academy of Design) of Florence was the first academy of drawing in Europe. ... Founded 59 BC as Florentia Region Tuscany Mayor Leonardo Domenici (Democratici di Sinistra) Area  - City Proper  102 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 356,000 almost 500,000 3,453/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Latitude Longitude 43°47 N 11°15 E www. ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1991 a vandal attacked the statue with a hammer, damaging the toes of the left foot before being restrained. The samples obtained from that incident allowed scientists to determine that the marble used by Michelangelo was obtained from the Fantiscritti quarries in Miseglia, the central of three small valleys in Carrara. The block was quarried 40 years prior to carving of David. In that time period, two other sculptors, Agostino di Duccio and Antonio Rossellino, attempted to carve from it, but both abandoned their projects due to lack of experience and skill. The marble in question contains many microscopic holes that cause it to deteriorate faster than other marbles. It is believed that because the quality of the marble is rather mediocre, Michelangelo obtained the block for free. Because of the marble's degradation, a controversy occurred in 2003, with some experts opposing the use of water to clean the statue. This was the first major cleaning since 1843. 1991 (MCMXCI) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Vandalism is the conspicuous defacement or destruction of a structure or symbol which turns out to be against the will of the owner/governing body. ... Marble This page is about the metamorphic rock. ... This entry incorporates text from Eastons Bible Dictionary, 1897, with some modernisation. ... Carrara is a city in the Massa Carrara province of Tuscany, Italy, famous for the white or blue-gray marble quarried there. ... Antonio Gamberelli (c. ... 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

A replica of the statue was offered as a gift by the municipality of Florence to the municipality of Jerusalem to mark the 3,000th anniversary of David's conquest of the city. The proposed gift evoked a storm in Jerusalem, where religious factions urged the gift be declined, because the naked figure was considered pornographic. Finally, a compromise was reached and another, fully-clad replica of a different statue was donated in its stead. Look up replica in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Founded 59 BC as Florentia Region Tuscany Mayor Leonardo Domenici (Democratici di Sinistra) Area  - City Proper  102 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 356,000 almost 500,000 3,453/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Latitude Longitude 43°47 N 11°15 E www. ... Jerusalem and the Old City. ... Michelangelos David. ... Pornography (from Greek πορνογραφια pornographia — literally writing about or drawings of harlots) is the representation of the human body or human sexual behaviour with the goal of sexual arousal, similar to, but (according to some) distinct from, erotica. ...

replica in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence

There are many full-size replicas of the statue around the world, from a plaster cast copy in London's Victoria and Albert Museum, to the centrepiece of a shopping mall in Surfers Paradise, Australia. One resident of Los Angeles, California, has decorated his house and grounds with twenty-three reduced scale replicas of the statue. There is also a copy gracing the "Appian Way Shops" at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. A bronze casting from the original marble statue also stands in Delaware Park in Buffalo, New York. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (960x1280, 616 KB) Summary Statue of David, (replica) in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, Italy Own photo - photo made on 12 October 2005 Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Michelangelos David Metadata This file contains... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (960x1280, 616 KB) Summary Statue of David, (replica) in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, Italy Own photo - photo made on 12 October 2005 Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Michelangelos David Metadata This file contains... This article is about the building material. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,421,328 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... The Cromwell Road entrance to the Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum viewed from Thurloe Square The main interior courtyard of the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2004. ... The Mall, an out-of-town shopping centre at Patchway, near Bristol, England. ... Categories: Stub ... The City of Los Angeles (from Spanish; Los Ángeles, ) also known simply as L.A., is the second-largest city in the United States in terms of population, as well as one of the worlds most important economic, cultural, and entertainment centers. ... Caesars Palace is about the hotel casino in Las Vegas. ... Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign just to the south of the Las Vegas Strip welcoming visitors to the city area_water = 0. ... Assorted ancient bronze castings found as part of a cache, probably intended for recycling. ... Aerial view of downtown Buffalo, New York Buffalo is an American city in western New York. ...

The history of Michelangelo's David precedes his work on it from 1501-1504, as far back as 1464. At that time, the Overseers of the Office Works (Operai), comprised mostly of members of the influential Wool Guild, had plans to commission a series of twelve large Old Testament sculptures for the buttresses of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. So far only two had been created independently by Donatello and his assistant, Agostino di Duccio. Eager to continue their project, in 1464 they again contracted di Duccio to create a David. Agostino only got as far as beginning to shape the legs, feet and chest of the figure, roughing out some drapery and possible gouging a hole between the legs. His association with the project, for reasons unknown, ceased with the death of his master Donatello in 1466, and Antonio Rossellino was commissioned to take up where di Duccio had left off. Rossellino's contract was terminated soon thereafter, and the block of marble remained neglected for twenty-five years, all the while exposed to the elements in the yard of the cathedral workshop. This was of great concern to the Operai authorities, as such a large piece of marble was both costly, and involved a large amount of labor and danger in its transportation to Florence. In 1500, an inventory of the cathedral workshops described the piece as, "a certain figure of marble called David, badly blocked out and supine." A year later, documents showed that the Operai were determined to find an artist who could take this large piece of marble and turn it into a finished work of art. They ordered the block of stone, which they called The Giant, "raised on its feet" so that a master experienced in this kind of work might examine it and express an opinion. Though Leonardo da Vinci and others were consulted, it was young Michelangelo, only 26 years old, who convinced the Operai that he deserved the commission. On August 16, 1501, Michelangelo was given the official contract to undertake this challenging new task. He would work on the massive biblical hero for a little more than 3 years. // Events Alexander becomes King of Poland. ... Events January 1 - French troops surrender Gaeta to the Spanish under Cordoba. ... Events February - Christian I of Denmark and Norway who was also serving as King of Sweden is declared deposed from the later throne. ... A cathedral is a Christian church building, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy (such as the Roman Catholic Church or the Lutheran or Anglican churches), which serves as the central church of a bishopric. ... The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the cathedral church, or Duomo, of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Florence, noted for its distinctive dome. ... Statue of Donatello outside the Uffizi, Florence Donatello (Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi) (1386 - December 13, 1466) was a famous Florentine artist and sculptor of the Early Renaissance. ... Events February - Christian I of Denmark and Norway who was also serving as King of Sweden is declared deposed from the later throne. ... A curtain is a piece of cloth intended to block or obscure light. ... Events Chimú Empire conquered by troops of the Inca End of term for Regent of Sweden Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna. ... // Events Europes population was ~60 million. ... Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an Italian Renaissance architect, musician, anatomist, inventor, engineer, sculptor, geometer, and painter. ... August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... // Events Alexander becomes King of Poland. ...

Michelangelo's statue of David differs from previous representations of the subject in that David is depicted before his battle with Goliath and not after the giant's defeat (as it is in Donatello's [1] and Verrocchio's [2] versions, produced earlier). Instead of being shown victorious over a foe much larger than he, David looks tense and ready for combat. His veins bulge out of his lowered right hand and the twist of his body effectively conveys to the viewer the feeling that he is a spring ready to be sprung. Statue of Donatello outside the Uffizi, Florence Donatello (Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi) (1386 - December 13, 1466) was a famous Florentine artist and sculptor of the Early Renaissance. ... Categories: Artist stubs | 1435 births | 1488 deaths | Italian painters | Italian sculptors ...

Compare this statue to prior statues of David by Donatello [3] and Verrocchio [4], and a subsequent dynamic baroque composition by Bernini [5]. Statue of Donatello outside the Uffizi, Florence Donatello (Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi) (1386 - December 13, 1466) was a famous Florentine artist and sculptor of the Early Renaissance. ... Categories: Artist stubs | 1435 births | 1488 deaths | Italian painters | Italian sculptors ... A self portrait: Bernini is said to have used his own features in the David (below, left) Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini) (December 7, 1598 - November 28, 1680), who worked chiefly in Rome, was the pre-eminent baroque artist. ...

Sources

• Kleiner, Fred S., and Christin J. Mamiya. Gardner's Art Through the Ages. 11th ed. Fort Worth: Harcourt College, 2001.
• Other Sources Unknown.