Art Library : Michelangelo ( Statue Of David ) by David LeesLIFE Photo Collection
Welcome to another Scavenger Hunt. Today we're searching for a true renaissance masterpiece, Michelangelo's David. A sculpture known all the world over as an enduring symbol of strength, fortitude, and beauty.
View of Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo, Constructed by Giuseppe Poggi, c. 1875 by Original by Francesco Arese Visconti, reprinted by Kunsthistorisches Institut in FlorenzDr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum
David is found in the Italian city of Florence, traditionally regarded as the centre of the renaissance. Florence was a rich and proud city, willing and able to fund the work of artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, and Raphael.
David was originally commissioned by the powerful wool guild to adorn the roof of Florence's cathedral. But it was fifty years before they found an artist able to complete the statue! When they realised it was too heavy to lift, they looked for another location…
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It took some years and a lot of politics and grudges before they decided on the statue's new location. But where is it? Let's go searching! Stay on this slide and point & click to hunt for David…
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Here it is! Pride of place in front of the town hall, the Palazzo Vecchio. Well… technically this is a copy. The real statue is safe inside the Gallery of the Academy of Florence. Let's go there now.
David (1959) by MichelangeloLIFE Photo Collection
David depicts the biblical giant slayer, in the moments before his battle with Goliath. Previous statues had depicted the heat of the fight, but Michelangelo opted for the tense calm before the storm.
The shining white marble and contrapposto pose reference the Florentines' favourite classical statues. It might look like a realistic depiction of a human body, but a lot of his features are wildly out of proportion. Michelangelo often used optical illusions in his work.
Replica of the "David" statue at the Municipal Stadium. (1950) by Rights ReservedThe Football Museum
David has been copied, and copied, and copied throughout history. You can see him on postcards, in adverts, or at sports stadiums, like the Estádio do Pacaembu in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It speaks volumes that this statue has come to stand for a lot more than just Florentine pride
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Thanks for joining today's scavenger hunt. There's plenty more artworks to discover, but while you're here, why not take a look around the cathedral - one of the most important buildings of the Renaissance.
