Michelangelo's David

Copy of Michelangelo's David at Piazza della Signoria
Picture taken by Cava H.

In 1501, the Florentine Cathedral building committee invited Michelangelo to create a David statue for the Pallazo della Signoria. Michelangelo carved the statue out of a large, tall, and narrow block of marble that had been previously used by another artist. While others had abandoned the piece of marble and deemed it useless, Michelangelo was able to carve a masterpiece out of it. Michelangelo represented David in heroic classical nudity, sternly watching his approaching enemy. Michelangelo admired Greco-Roman statues, and David's torso is derived from the 2^nd century sculpture of Apollo Belvedere. David's physique is rendered with skill, precision, and grace. While David's body appears classical, his head and facial expression capture Renaissance ideas. David's focused facial expression creates emotional tension and alludes to an opposing force beyond the statue. Instead of the calm, ideal beauty seen in earlier art, Michelangelo's sculpture channels pent-up emotion and tension. Michelangelo's passions and emotions are clearly evident in his beautiful sculptures. The David was moved from the Palazzo Vecchio to the Galleria dell'Accademia in the 19^th centurey to prevent further damage.