Wonders of Florence: sculpture of David.
Michelangelo is an Italian architect, painter, poet and sculptor, known throughout the world for his unique creations. The most striking and recognizable work of the master was the statue of David in Florence. About the history and description of this masterpiece, as well as interesting facts and other impressive works of the master, you will read in the presented article.
History of Michelangelo's statue
In the 15th century, construction work was underway in Florence to build the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. In the years of completion of construction, the question arose of decorating the interior of the building. This business was handled by a successful and enterprising guild of wool merchants. They were both the customer and the sponsor of the construction of the temple, as well as its interior design. Members of the society agreed that in order to give the building a special beauty and sophistication, it is necessary to decorate it with 12 statues of the prophets from the Old Testament.
In 1464, the sculptor Donatello and his student Agostino di Duccio created 2 statues. The guild liked the work of the masters, and they ordered another statue from them - David. For this, a large piece of marble, mined in Carrara, was delivered to Florence. After the death of Donatello in 1466, his journeyman refused to fulfill the contract. The creation of David passed into the hands of Antonio Rosselino, however, he could not fulfill the order given to him.
The block, located in the open air, was nicknamed "Giant" by the locals. Due to the change in weather and temperature, the marble decreased in size, cracks and chips appeared on it. At the beginning of the 16th century, the ministers of the cathedral consulted with Leonardo da Vinci, who recognized the stone as fit for sculpture.
The next master who was entrusted with the execution of the statue of David was the 26-year-old Michelangelo Buonarroti. In August 1501, he signed a contract, and a month later he began to process the shapeless marble into a masterpiece of the ideal human body. The sculptor worked alone for days on end. The block stood in the open air, therefore, in the process of creating his creation, Michelangelo endured heavy rains, winter cold, and summer heat.
In January 1504, a "show" of the finished statue of David was scheduled. Such Florentine masters as Andrea dela Robbia, Botticelli, Giuliano and Antonio Sangallo, Perugino, Andrea Sovino and others came to the cathedral. They had to appreciate the creation of a young and ambitious Italian. After the removal of the fence protecting the sculpture from prying eyes, Michelangelo's ideal David appeared before the eyes of the assembled critics. All the masters who came admired his creation, and the Signoria, who was present, offered to make the sculpture a symbol of the new Republican Florence.
David was placed in Piazza della Signoria in May 1504, in place of the statue of Judith by Donatello. In 1527, the rule of Florence was again in the hands of the Medici family. As a result of the defense of one of the buildings of the city, David's hand was smashed to smithereens. The fragments were collected by the sculptor Vasari, and after 16 years (1543) he restored the masterpiece at the behest of Cosimo I Medici.
For several centuries David stood in the open air. Due to the inconsistency of the weather, the material became unusable. In the 19th century, the sculpture underwent 2 restorations, but they were extremely unsuccessful. In 1873, David was moved to the Academy Gallery, where he took a place specially designated for him - a large tribune. The place on Piazza della Signoria also did not remain in ruins. In 1910, an excellent copy of the Old Testament character was installed here.
In 2003-2004, Michelangelo's statue was cleaned of accumulated layers of dust and dirt. The work was carried out by professional restorers. Unfortunately, some visitors to the Florentine museum harm the majestic sculpture. In 1991, one of the visitors managed to chip off several pieces of marble from the toes of David's left foot.
Description of the statue of David
Michelangelo's sculpture of David is considered the finest work of Italian Renaissance art. The marble youth from the legends of the Old Testament is recognized as a perfect creation and the ideal of male beauty.
The original statue of David has a height of 5 m 17 cm. It depicts a naked young man who is preparing for the upcoming fight with Goliath. The statue of Michelangelo is a kind of innovation, because. the predecessors of the master created sculptures of a hero triumphing over a fallen giant. In the pose of David, one can notice concentration and calmness. The facial expression suggests that the young man is not afraid of Goliath. David's muscles are tense: his left hand holds a sling thrown over his shoulder. From below, the right hand picks up the weapon, in which the hero holds a stone. The figure of David indicates that he is ready to fight with a strong enemy and has prepared a deadly blow for him.
Today, the original statue of David is in the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence.
- David is a character in the Bible. According to the biblical legend, the young man threw down Goliath with the help of a stone and a sling, although the naked body of the hero contradicts the principles of the religious book.
- David in Florence exceeds the height of a man by almost 3 times.
- The right hand of the young man is asymmetric, and does not fit the proportions of the rest of the body. Many experts believe that this "oversight" was made on purpose to emphasize David's nickname - a strong hand.
- Due to the fact that the sling is in David's left hand, the hero is considered left-handed. However, the position of the body of the sculpture suggests otherwise.
- Initially, the statue of Michelangelo was planned to be placed on the dome of the cathedral. Seeing the masterpiece created by the master, they decided to place it in a more prominent place - Signoria Square.
- Before the creation of the famous David, Michelangelo managed to declare himself as a talented sculptor. Fame brought to the master the work "Roman Pieta". Later, the Italian created the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, and was recognized as an outstanding painter of that time.
- The pose of David has clear similarities with the sculptures of Hercules.
- David has many copies. The most famous of them are located on Piazza della Signoria and Michelangelo in Florence, in London's Albert and Victoria Museum, and also in Moscow's Pushkin Museum.
- In 1857, Queen Victoria of England was presented with a copy of David. The queen did not like the nakedness of the hero, and she ordered to cover his genitals with a fig leaf made of plaster.
- In the 20th century, the authorities of Florence wanted to donate a cast of the sculpture of the Old Testament character to Jerusalem. The authorities of the Israeli city refused the gift, justifying this by the fact that David is depicted as an Italian, and not a Jew. According to the country's religion, Jewish men must have their foreskin circumcised.
Other works by Michelangelo
During his life, Michelangelo created many valuable works of art. In addition to David, the Roman Pieta and the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, the master created the following masterpieces:
Sculptures and bas-reliefs:
- Madonna at the stairs;
- Battle of the centaurs;
- crucifix;
- Saint Proclus;
- St. Peter;
- Angel;
- Saint Paul;
- Bacchus (the first creation of Michelangelo);
- Saint Pius I;
- Saint George I;
- Venus and Cupid;
- Saint Matthew;
- Moses and others
Painting:
- Position in the coffin;
- Madonna Donnie;
- Madonna and Child;
- Last Judgment;
- Titius;
- Cleopatra;
- Crucifixion of Saint Peter;
- Epiphany, etc.
Architecture:
- tombstone of Giuliano Medici;
- vestibule, staircase and reading room of the Laurenzian Library;
- Palace of the Conservatives in Rome;
- tomb of Julius II;
- Palazzo Farnese in Rome;
- Gate of Pius in Rome;
- Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome, etc.
Some works of the Italian master were lost over time. In addition, several creations have no evidence of Michelangelo's authorship.
The famous David, whose statue is located in Florence, is recognized as an outstanding masterpiece not only by Michelangelo Buonarroti, but of the entire Italian Renaissance. If you are in this region of Italy, then be sure to visit the Academy of Fine Arts, and look at the famous 5-meter sculpture with your own eyes.
Michelangelo Buonarroti was 26 years old when he received the commission for the statue of David. The monument was to be installed in the Cathedral of Florence on one of the buttresses. Over time, the order, initially absolutely religious, became politically biased. The Old Testament story about the confrontation between the Jews and the Philistines was superimposed on the confrontation between Florence and papal Rome. David was to become a symbol of patriotism and protection of Florence and .
Plot
The battle of David and Goliath is one of the most popular Old Testament stories in world culture. However, it was Michelangelo Buonarroti who managed to create such a discouragingly beautiful David that today this statue is perhaps the leader in terms of the number of copies and interpretations.
According to the Old Testament description, the Philistines decided to go to war against the Israelites. The latter also raised an army, which was led by Saul. Among the Israelite soldiers were David's older brothers. He himself was still too young and so far only herded sheep. Shortly before the start of the battle, his father sent David to the brothers to bring bread and, so to speak, to say hello from home.
During his undertaking, David saw the giant Goliath and heard this Philistine laughing at the god. None of the Israeli army dared to call Goliath to account for his bold words. Then David, with the permission of Saul, decided to attack the giant. He refused the sword and helmet - he simply did not know how to handle them. The young man took a stone and launched it from a sling at Goliath. A simple weapon struck the giant in the forehead and struck down on the spot. The Philistines were completely at a loss when they learned that the strong man was killed by a stone, the ranks mixed up and were crushed by the Israelites. What is true and what is fiction is difficult to say. Scholars debate the historicity of David as such.
Work on a copy of the statue, 1928
In the original, David is a young man. In Michelangelo, he is shown as a strong man, the future king of the Jews (who, according to the same Old Testament descriptions, he will really soon become). The hero is presented in all the splendor of the beauty of his perfect body. The pose of a person who is confident in his strength, and at the same time, emotional tension and concentration are read in his eyes. We see how the muscles and veins are tense. It seems that David is ready to throw a stone at Goliath at any moment.
Context
There are three museums in Florence where, in any weather, at any time of the year, there is an unstoppable line: the Uffizi Gallery, which contains the best works of Renaissance art, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the Accademia Gallery. People go to the latter only for the sake of "David".
The statue was moved to the Academy with great fanfare in 1873. Prior to that, for three centuries it stood in the center of the city on Piazza della Signoria, burned by the sun and blown by the winds. Contemporaries were not particularly worried about the preservation of cultural heritage, so David, as a symbol of the independence and strength of Florence, stood next to administrative buildings, which, by the way, are also museums today.
Under the terms of an agreement concluded in 1501, the 5-meter statue was to be made from a single piece of marble by 1504. The material offered by Florence was complex - not every experienced craftsman would take on a block that had been aimlessly standing in the courtyard of Santa Maria del Fiore for a long time, and even was spoiled by the predecessor sculptors. 26-year-old Michelangelo, who had fled from Rome without the permission of the pope, was confident in his genius, and did not hesitate to set to work. At the wall of Santa Maria del Fiore, the sculptor fenced off a place around a block of marble and for two years did not show anyone what was happening behind the scaffolding.
When David appeared before the Florentines, they were dumbfounded by the grandeur and beauty of this marble giant. Giorgio Vasari, the man who came up with the idea of compiling the biographies of artists, wrote: “To the one who saw this, it’s not worth looking at any sculpture of any master of our or other times.”
At the time of the creation of the sculpture, Florence was a powerful republic that conducted its affairs independently of papal Rome. Political independence was supported by financial stability. The export of silk, trade, banking - the turnover of capital was colossal. However, the Republic did not have a standing army, and expenses were rising - the Renaissance was in fact completely mounted by Florence. In addition, Rome did not like the freedom-loving behavior of Florence, and France strove to interfere in Italian affairs. Plus, disputes for power did not stop inside Florence itself. As a result, 30 years after the creation of such a powerful symbol of the independence of Florence - the statue of David - nothing remains of independence itself. In the early 1530s, imperial troops entered the city, crushing the resisters. Florence was waiting for repression, reprisals and executions. The democratic constitution was abolished and a hereditary monarchy proclaimed instead.
The fate of the artist
Michelangelo, although he was from a noble family, he was brought up in a family of ordinary people - his father did not have enough funds to support all the children. In the village, a child, even before reading and writing, learned to work with clay.
Later, already during the training of Michelangelo in the workshop, he was noticed Lorenzo de' Medici and took patronage over him, which involved orders and money. After the death of the patron in 1492, Michelangelo began to work mainly with commissions from the church. By his efforts, works of art appeared in Rome, stunning in terms of complexity and beauty.
Many consider the statue of David to be the most beautiful and impressive work of the Renaissance. Now the original statue is installed in Florence at the Academy of Fine Arts. The last restoration of this creation by Michelangelo Buonarroti was carried out in 2003 and now you can see it by visiting the Academy building.
In this article we will talk about the statue itself, how to get to the Academy of Fine Arts and why the biblical David became one of the symbols of Florence.
In 1504, when the work was completed, the statue was so beautiful that there were disputes about where to install it. Initially, it was planned to install it next to the Florence Cathedral, but many realized that it was more reasonable to place it in the central square. The statue had not only religious, but also political significance.
David, who killed the giant warrior Goliath with just one shot from a sling, was very close to the inhabitants of Florence. The city-republic of Florence was a small but proud country that was constantly under the threat of invasion by much stronger rivals. From the north, France threatened, and from the south, the Papal States. Now you understand why the image of David was so popular in the works of art of Florentine authors.
Many adventures happened to the statue, it went through several restorations, which we will talk about at the end of this article.
How to get to the Academy of Fine Arts, where the statue of David is located.
Unfortunately, there is no subway in Florence, and the main transport in the city is the bus. The Academy is located in the very center of the city, right at the intersection of the main routes. It is very likely that one of the buses to the academy stops near your hotel.
Look for buses numbered 6, 14, 19, 23 and 31, they need to get to the stop “Ss. Annunziata - Istituto Degli Innocent. Or take buses 1, 11, 17, 19, 52, 54, 82, C1 or G to the stop "Ricasoli - Gran Caffe" San Marco".
A ticket at the box office costs (at the time of this writing) 6.5 euros, which for Italy can be considered a very “democratic” price.
What to look for when you inspect the statue of David.
The first strong impression that you will get without our advice will come from the size of the statue. Of course, the impressions of viewing works of art are different for everyone, we understand that all this is very subjective. The statue has a height of 5.16 meters and another stand raises it by 20 centimeters. The biblical hero looks majestic.
Agree, not all large objects make a strong impression on people, there is a difference between something just big and something that seems grandiose. The statue of David by Michelangelo Buonarroti is just a good example of the second case, it does not have gigantic dimensions, but it looks impressive.
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The second thing to notice is David's view. He is tense as he prepares to fight the mighty Goliath. According to legend, Goliath was not just big, but just a huge warrior. His height was 2.7 meters. Most likely this is an error in the translation of ancient measures of length or simply a deliberate embellishment of victory, which was not disdained in the ancient world. Recall that David emerged victorious from this fight, hitting Goliath with a single shot from his sling. On the statue, he is just depicted with this weapon. This sculpture is different from many others depicting this story. Usually, David is depicted after the victory, and Michelangelo showed the hero before the fight. |
And do not forget that the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence has a lot of other interesting things besides the famous creation of Michelangelo.
"Adventures" and the restoration of the statue of David.
The first "adventure" happened to the statue at the time of its transportation to the Palazzo Vecchio. A group of supporters of the overthrown Medici dynasty tried to damage the sculpture, but nothing good came of them. The second danger threatened the statue already in 1512, when lightning struck the base, fortunately, there was no damage to the statue itself.
In 1527, during the uprising, the statue was badly damaged, as supporters of the republic took refuge in the Palazzo Vecchio and threw stones and even furniture at the enemy. The sculpture's left arm and sling were damaged. After the unrest subsided, the statue was restored.
In 1843, it was decided to restore the statue, as 350 years of its exposure to the open air had greatly spoiled its appearance. The methods of the 19th century restorers were simply terrible. Acid and cutting tools were used, the top layer of marble was simply removed.
In 2003, a comprehensive restoration was carried out, and now in Florence you can look at David in the best possible way.
Have a good visit to Florence and read our materials about Italy on the site ( links can be found below).
One of the greatest masterpieces of world art - the sculpture of David - performed by the brilliant Michelangelo, survived a difficult fate. The very history of the creation of sculpture is long and full of all sorts of twists and turns. Initially, the order was given to Donatello. The material was chosen - a huge marble block from Carrara, the sculptor set to work, but did not have time to finish it. For several years, the marble stood ownerless, and even began to collapse. The Commission of the Fathers of Florence decided that the young Michelangelo could continue the work. But the budding sculptor was known for his difficult nature, as well as pedantry in the choice of material for work. Michelangelo refused for a long time, which caused the displeasure of the city authorities. Finally, when it was already decided to give the order to another, the future "creator of the Vatican" set to work.
The sculpture was created a little over two years. When the commission came to accept the finished work, heated arguments broke out. The whole point was how he portrayed the hero of the Old Testament. The tradition of the Renaissance assumed the image of David at the moment of triumph after the victory over Goliath. Michelangelo went the other way. His David is just getting ready for battle. He is focused, his muscles tense, his face stern.
The interpretation of the image strengthened the civic sound of the sculpture. If at first the work was intended to be placed near the cathedral, now many members of the commission proposed placing it on the central square. After heated debate, a decision was made in favor of Piazza della Signoria as the location for the statue.
Already in those distant times (beginning of the 16th century), David was the ideal of male beauty. In order to create the exact proportions and visual appeal of his sculpture, the artist went to some distortion of the anatomical structure of the human body: at least one rib and one muscle on the back are missing. However, only physicians and specialists in the field of human anatomy notice this.
Interestingly, the exact copies of the sculpture in the art world are also highly valued and adorn the largest museums. In, for example, the sculpture is equipped with a removable fig leaf in case the queen visits the museum, and in the Pushkin Museum there is a copy made for the collection of the first director of the museum, Tsvetaeva.
Currently, a copy of the sculpture stands in the Florentine square. The original was moved away from weather troubles to the Academy of Fine Arts. However, this did not save David from the vandals. Not so long ago, a mentally unstable visitor to the academy rushed at the masterpiece with a hammer in his hands. A few blows were enough to damage the big toe of the statue.
Italian experts have found that due to the constant micro-vibrations created by public transport in Florence, the sculpture begins to collapse. The reason for this is not only the vibration, but also the not very good quality of the marble, as well as the weight of the 5-meter statue. The possibility of moving the masterpiece to a safer place is currently being considered.
