David
There are 4 Davids in this gallery...but there's really only one David.
Michelangelo's David: Seventeen feet of Marble Magnificence
David by Michelangelo
Photo by Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali
Accademia Gallery postcard
Michelangelo was born in 1475 near Arezzo in Caprese, Tuscany, and was only 26 years old when he was commissioned by the Florentine Republic to create what has become the symbol of the Florence and the Renaissance. The Biblical story of David tells of a 14-year-old Jewish shepherd boy whose tribe was surrounded by Philistines, who challenged the Israelites to send their own champion to battle Goliath in single combat. Although his body appears to be relaxed, this manly king is full of tension, poised at the moment before he hurls his sling. He has already decided that he can defeat Goliath – mentally, the outcome is certain. On a larger theme, David represents the small man defeating the giant, the power of the Medici family, and the strength and independence of Florence over rival city-states.
Physically, David is almost a perfect specimen, and he is captivating. His right hand is significantly larger, linked to the divine power of God, while his left hand holds the sling at the ready. His hands introduce an intriguing question – where is the stone that will defeat Goliath? If the stone is already in the sling in his left hand, then, having made the decision to fight Goliath, all he has to do is let go of the sling, and begin swinging it in his right hand. If, however, the stone is in David’s right hand, then does he place it in the sling in his left hand and thus, defeat Goliath with a more sinister power? (Note: the word for left in Italian is ‘sinistre’, from which we get “sinister”, meaning singularly evil or presaging ill fortune or trouble, unlucky, inauspicious.)
Before freeing us to wander the Accademia, our tour guide, Donato, told us about a physiological, historical mistake to look for on the sculpture. It’s not hard to miss – ahem – David’s not circumcised. As a Jewish boy, he would have been, however it would not have followed in the style of the Renaissance, or been politically astute to cast an obviously Jewish man as a symbol of Florence.
Interestingly, the only place to sit and admire David is around the, uh, backside...
Donatello, Verrocchio and Santa Croce
David in Santa Croce
