statue of david by michelangelo
History of the Statue of David(The Giant – il gigante) by Michelangelo
Artworks represent a repository of social relationships (relationships between the artist and the patron, between the artist and the public). Still, their connection with society continues once their creation is complete. From that moment on, they exist over time, forgotten or transmitted, respected or destroyed, subject to repeated social filtering.
And when they manage to survive, they are reinterpreted, reviewed, and revisited. The history of their creation has a specific limit: completion. However, a more extended, distant limit is that of reception. These two aspects, these two closely related facets, are objects within the social history of art.
This assertion aligns perfectly with the history of one of the most celebrated icons in art history: Statue of david by michelangelo. By studying both its completion on one hand and its reception on the other, we can understand how the social value of an artwork is highly changeable over time and dependent on various factors:
- The commissioning
- The subject
- The artist’s choices
- The original and current placements of the artwork
- Its conservation journey
- The studies related to it
This comprehensive analysis from two perspectives can also assist us in determining the events and factors that contribute to turning an artwork into an undisputed masterpiece, elevating it to a myth.
When the commission for the statue of David was granted to Michelangelo on August 16, 1501, he, despite his young age (being only twenty-six), was already an established artist, fully aware of his talent. This can be gleaned from the signature he left on the Vatican’s Pietà, immediately noticeable even to a casual observer.
Having entered Ghirlandaio‘s workshop as an apprentice in 1488, he stayed for just a year. Thanks to Lorenzo the Magnificent, who recognized the young artist’s immense potential, Michelangelo was taken into his own home and supported in his education at the “Giardino di San Marco,” the first school for artists. Lorenzo established this school in his late wife Clarice Orsini’s villa. It was supervised by Bertoldo and played a significant role in fostering the study of ancient works and the modern masterpieces that revealed the new Renaissance language.
After the death of Lorenzo the Magnificent in 1492, during a period dominated by political instability caused by the weak governance of Piero de’ Medici, Michelangelo left Florence for Rome. There, he gained fame and recognition with the Bacchus of 1496, his first work entirely inspired by antiquity, both in theme and subject. This sculpture was created for a Florentine residing in Rome.
Another sculpture from his initial Roman stay that secured Michelangelo‘s entry into the eyes of his contemporaries as one of the era’s finest artists is the Pietà of 1499. This artwork was made for the French Cardinal de Lagraulas, an ambassador to Pope Alexander VI. In this piece, the artist demonstrated deep technical mastery—observable in the treatment of the drapery, allowing him to overcome the considerable challenge of composing a group where a reclining body had to fit within an erect one. Furthermore, Michelangelo displayed an elevated ability to infuse the religious theme with an intense yet controlled emotional character.
The ability to rival the ancients, technical mastery, and emotional intensity in portraying religious themes were the distinct characteristics of the young Buonarroti’s art that were highly valued and praised by his contemporaries. It’s no surprise, then, that upon his return to Florence, the Opera del Duomo commissioned him to create the statue that, through skillful commercial efforts highlighting its cult-like image, would become one of the symbols of Western art over the centuries—an icon or a myth.
However, it must be noted that “those who deal with sales strategies take something that is already famous and try to make it even more famous: they consolidate but rarely innovate,” and that “the fame of a masterpiece is based on a complex sequence of historically determined events.” Indeed, David was immediately met with strong admiration from the inhabitants of Florence upon its return. They appreciated its undeniable stylistic qualities and saw in it an exaltation of the republic that fought tirelessly against tyranny without hesitation or mercy.
Vasari‘s assertion that Michelangelo had created a sculpture with the David that “silenced all modern and ancient statues, be they Greek or Latin” and that “those who see this should not bother looking at any other sculpture made in our times or in others by any artist” likely stems from more than admiration. According to Vasari, Michelangelo not only surpassed the ancients, considered the pinnacle for an artist, but he also completely exhausted the field of sculpture.
Once someone had seen David, there was no need to concern oneself with viewing any other ancient or modern statue. It appears that the author of “The Lives” was taken quite literally by the thousands of tourists who enter the Accademia Gallery in Florence each day and gather in front of the “Giant,” ignoring the other works displayed in the museum.
The block of marble from which David would be born was stored in the warehouses of the Opera del Duomo. It had been deposited there after unsuccessful attempts by Agostino di Duccio and Antonio Rossellino to rough carve it due to the poor quality of the material. The block was meant for a statue celebrating the brave hero, an ancestor of Jesus, and intended for the exterior buttresses of the Santa Maria del Fiore apse.
Initially, David planned a placement emphasizing its biblical and religious significance. However, neither this statue nor others conceived for the same location were placed in the originally intended spot. This could be because the new Renaissance taste in architecture appreciated the application of mathematical principles based on precise calculations during the design phase, rejecting the exuberant and overloaded decorations beloved by the Gothic style in favor of formal purity and organic geometry.
Meanwhile, in a statue, they favored the relationship with space, the portrayal of movement, and the study of anatomy and proportions. Such considerations could have been more conducive to the subordination of sculpted figures to the external architecture of a building.
It’s remarkable to observe how the history of a myth begins with an attempt to rectify the mistakes made by others, and one can’t help but wonder why their uncertainties didn’t affect Michelangelo as well. The decision of Agostino di Duccio and Antonio Rossellino to abandon the sculpture of David was due, as we’ve seen, to the poor quality of the material, exacerbated by its colossal dimensions (over five meters in height).
This earned it the epithet “Giant.” Additionally, the sculpture had to depict a male body in the nude, with a narrower base about the apex, needing to stand on two legs instead of a broader and solid area, such as the drapery of a garment. When they reached the more delicate part—the legs—Agostino di Duccio and Antonio Rossellino halted their work.
Moreover, the marble of David exhibits numerous trolls. These small cavities were likely filled with lime mortar by Michelangelo himself, as revealed by the restorer Agnese Parronchi during the 2003 restoration. Tarolli were often present in quarry marble but not in such high numbers, indicating a lack of care in selecting the marble. On the other hand, the presence of these holes was inconsequential for the original placement of David.
When the artist completed his work in 1504, the issue of its placement sparked heated debates tied to political motivations. Once the original biblical and ecclesiastical meaning intended for its initial location on the buttresses of the Duomo had faded, David was now interpreted as a citizen-warrior, a bourgeois hero fighting for his homeland.
This interpretation of the theme was not entirely new, considering that Donatello‘s first marble David, also destined for the buttresses of Santa Maria del Fiore, was immediately placed in the Palazzo Vecchio, in a niche adorned with the fleur-de-lis motif, symbolizing Florence. Similarly, the bronze David that the same artist crafted for the Medici Palace after the family’s expulsion in 1494 was placed in the courtyard of the Palazzo della Signoria, where the inscription on its base underscored its message of struggle against tyranny for freedom.
Statue of david by michelangelo, atop the Duomo, as originally planned
Pier Soderini, the lifetime gonfalonier, understanding the political significance of images, proposed placing the David in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, the seat of the Signoria and a symbol of the republic. Here, it would embody the defense of republican liberty against all forms of despotism—a crucial message in Florence’s highly unstable political situation following the expulsion of the Medici and the execution of Savonarola.
However, not all Florentines agreed with the gonfaloniere. Supporters of the Medici wanted to place the David in a partially covered location, such as the Loggia dei Lanzi. Among them was Giuliano da Sangallo, who justified his choice not in ideological but artistic terms, noting that exposure to the elements would quickly damage the already compromised marble.
A commission was formed, including some of the most esteemed artists in Florence: Andrea Della Robbia, Piero di Cosimo, Pietro Perugino, Leonardo da Vinci, Filippino Lippi, Sandro Botticelli, and Cosimo Rosselli. They eventually decided to adopt Soderini’s proposal, which seems to have aligned with Michelangelo‘s intentions.
In May 1504, the transportation of the “Giant” from the Opera del Duomo to Piazza della Signoria commenced, taking over two weeks. Antonio da Sangallo, Cronaca, Baccio d’Agnolo, and Bernardo del Cecca devised a complex apparatus for this purpose. Judging by the detailed descriptions in Florentine chronicles, the event must have gained significant attention.
During the uphill transportation, the Giant was pelted with stones by those who opposed its placement in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. This sheds further light on the political significance of artistic choices and the conspicuously public nature of the monument held in the eyes of the community.
The David was placed on a tall pedestal from where public speeches, “arringario,” were delivered. It replaced Donatello’s bronze group depicting the beheading of Holofernes by Judith. This Donatello sculpture, seized from the Medici Palace after their expulsion in 1494, had been placed in the courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio, where it was given the same political and republican significance later attributed to David.
This meaning was emphasized by the inscription “Exemplum salutis publicae cives posuere” on its base. To make room for David, Judith was relocated to a niche in the Palazzo Vecchio courtyard and subsequently to the Loggia dei Lanzi. In 1504, the portrayal of a woman killing a man was deemed inappropriate, and the biblical hero better expressed the warning against reinstating tyranny than the heroine of Bethulia.
Impressively anatomically realistic, towering on its pedestal, and characterized by colossal dimensions that revealed a meticulous study and interpretation of ancient standards, Michelangelo‘s David strongly resonated with the Florentines. With its vigilant hero persona, constantly on guard and ready to defend republican liberties by any means necessary, the statue reflected the political instability of its era.
From then on, the statue was perpetually at the heart of citizens’ interests and consistently intertwined with political events concerning the city.
In 1512, Pier Soderini was ousted from Florence, which once again fell under the rule of the Medici. On this occasion, a lightning bolt struck the base of the David, causing the marble foundation created by Antonio da Sangallo and Simone del Pollaiolo to give way.
This resulted in fissures forming around the ankles. The lightning strike was interpreted as a tangible sign of celestial displeasure toward the restoration of an authoritarian government that had undermined the survival of the republic. However, the misfortunes destined to befall David were only beginning.
The First Placement Statue of David by Michelangelo
On April 26, 1527, during the brief expulsion of the Medici from Florence, a full-fledged urban brawl focused on the head of David. Republican forces entrenched in the Palazzo Vecchio attempted to repel Medici supporters pressing at the gates. Stones and tiles were hurled from the palace windows, and a bench struck the Giant’s left arm, shattering it into three pieces.
Young Vasari and Salviati recovered these fragments after lying on the ground for three days. Likely during this incident, the sling behind the back was chipped, visible to this day, along with the loss of some curls’ tips and a small break along the lower eyelid of the right eye.
The arm fragments were probably more than three in number, a symbolic choice adopted by Vasari, and they were reassembled using many pegs, some of which were cemented in place. This suggests that this reassembly took place relatively recently.
The restoration of David by Michelangelo
Exposure to weathering due to its outdoor location, correctly feared by Giuliano da Sangallo and exacerbated by the marble’s poor quality—highly porous and easily penetrable by water—along with consistently being in the midst of tumultuous political situations, quickly caused irreparable damage to the David. These damages were first detected during preliminary diagnostic investigations in the 1980s.
The first modern restoration occurred in 1813 when Stefano Ricci was tasked with restoring the middle finger of the right hand, broken under unknown circumstances. Around thirty years later, David’s poor state of conservation led the purist sculptor Lorenzo Bartolini to suggest in a letter to Poccianti, the secretary of the Directorate of the Royal Factories, that the Giant be moved to the Loggia dei Lanzi for better protection. Bartolini also proposed cleaning the marble’s surface, citing the desire for preservation that, according to him, encompassed everyone.
Up to that point, after more than three centuries since its completion, David’s significance to the citizenry was no less than it was during the Florentine Republic.
The cleaning process was entrusted to Aristodemo Costoli, who used a solution comprising fifty percent hydrochloric acid and employed sharp tools to remove encrustations. Unfortunately, this process further damaged the surface of the “Giant,” which was already severely compromised both structurally—due to the base damaged by the 1512 lightning strike—and chemically, given its exposure to the elements and the presence of numerous troll, which made the material highly permeable to water and dust.
Did You know David’s damaged left foot was caused by exposure to the elements in 1991 when a man hit it with a concealed hammer?
At this point, relocating David to a sheltered place had become urgent, and a decision was made to replace Michelangelo‘s statue with a copy. During that time, the concept of originality was quite different from our contemporary understanding, and copies of famous works were highly sought after by collectors, who were willing to pay exorbitant amounts, especially if created by trendy artists.
In 1846, the Grand Duke of Florence, Leopold II, commissioned Clemente Papi to prepare a plaster cast from which a bronze cast would be made in 1866. Papi’s model was of fundamental importance since all subsequent casts would be derived from it, avoiding the degradation issues that casting directly from the original would entail.
In 1852, the Accademia di Belle Arti established a commission chaired by architect Pasquale Poccianti, which decided to move the David to a place that was at least sheltered, if not enclosed. Poccianti emphasized the need to relocate the “Giant” to a grand and fitting location for the magnitude of the work, a place where the entire public could appreciate the sculpture. In other words, the architect intended to safeguard the social value of David.
He proposed placing it in the Loggia dei Lanzi, which had been built in the 14th century by Orcagna to host public ceremonies. The Loggia had a solid historical and civic identity, situated close to the palace that housed the authorities governing the Florentine government. Initially, it was decided to place Papi’s plaster cast in the Loggia dei Lanzi as a dress rehearsal to gauge the reactions of the city’s public, who were always attentive to artistic phenomena due to their social and political significance.
In 1866, a new commission was established, and the newly formed Italian government proposed placing Michelangelo’s most celebrated statue in the central hall of the Bargello Palace. The Bargello had become a national museum intended to house a rich collection of sculptures from the 16th century.
The Bargello was thus seen as a distinguished place suitable for expressing and representing the historical value of David, which had now become a symbol of the new national spirit. After the challenging and complex process that led to the unification of Italy, there was a need to create a unified nation from many states with diverse histories, languages, and traditions.
This process aimed to form a common heritage for the entire nation. As a result, national commissions were established to celebrate famous figures embodying the Italian spirit, such as Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, and Galileo. David thus assumed the role of a national hero beyond the regional differences that divided the nation, hindering the formation of a national identity.
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David & Accademia Gallery Florence Private Tour with Local Guide
Visit the Accademia Gallery and immerse yourself in the beauty of Renaissance artworks and statues, including the iconic masterpiece of Michelangelo’s David. With the help of an enthusiastic local guide, your experience is sure to be unforgettable.
Relocation to the Accademia Gallery Statue of David by Michelangelo
Between 1869 and 1872, the Commission of Fine Arts placed David in a specially constructed room inside the Galleria dell’Accademia. Architect Emilio De Fabris was engaged in the design and created a monumental tribune, turning it into a true deification of Michelangelo‘s statue. The David was positioned at the center of a semicircular apse, illuminated by light coming through the dome’s glass panels, reminiscent of an altar in a church.
The transport of the Giant took nine days, from July 30 to August 10, 1873, using a wooden structure on rails to prevent overturning, given the uneven streets of Florence. The transportation had a significant impact on the Florentines, as reported in chronicles and illustrated images.
Unfortunately, during this relocation, the original pedestal by Antonio da Sangallo and Simone del Pollaiolo was destroyed and replaced with a new one promptly commissioned by the municipality.
After the move, to fill the void left in Piazza della Signoria, the proposal was made to place a bronze copy of the David there. However, the Florentines opposed having a copy made from a different material placed in front of the Palazzo Vecchio.
Thus, the bronze copy was placed at the center of a new square constructed by Giuseppe Poggi along the circumferential avenue (now Piazzale Michelangelo). It was surrounded by bronze copies of allegorical figures from the Medici tombs in the New Sacristy of San Lorenzo. The vacant space in Piazza della Signoria remained until 1910, when Luigi Arrighetti sculpted the marble copy that we can still admire in front of the Palazzo Vecchio today.
In 2003, Michelangelo’s David underwent a restoration campaign that became the center of numerous debates and garnered widespread attention from the public, as is often the case with events such as exhibitions and conservation efforts involving universally recognized masterpieces.
It’s no coincidence that the Florentine superintendent, Antonio Paolucci, referred to it as a “myth-restoration,” highlighting the emotional and psychological aura surrounding David and the need for a restoration that would preserve this aura, so as not to disappoint public expectations. To achieve the same goal, the media, which gave significant coverage to the event, referred to it not as restoration but as a “conservation intervention.”
One of the major controversies that arose during the restoration can exemplify the media significance of the event: while the restorer Agnese Parronchi proposed a “dry” cleaning method, which was more labor-intensive and time-consuming but less invasive, Superintendent Paolucci leaned toward a “wet” cleaning with distilled water, an approach opposed by the restorer due to the porosity of the David’s marble and the potential risk of disintegration.
The issue was ultimately resolved by replacing the restorer and adopting Paolucci’s method, which allowed the work to be completed in time for the statue’s 500th-anniversary celebration.
History of the Statue of David(Giant) by Michelangelo
DISCOVER THE ART OF FLORENCE WITH AN EXPERT GUIDE
Duration: 2 hours, Private Tour
Uffizi Gallery Florence Private Tour with Local Guide
Embark on an interactive treasure hunt at the Uffizi Gallery, one of the oldest museums in Europe. This tour is perfect for all ages and allows you to discover Renaissance masterpieces as our expert guide unveils the secrets behind iconic works by Michelangelo, Botticelli
Duration: 1.5 hours, Private Tour
David & Accademia Gallery Florence Private Tour with Local Guide
Visit the Accademia Gallery and immerse yourself in the beauty of Renaissance artworks and statues, including the iconic masterpiece of Michelangelo’s David. With the help of an enthusiastic local guide, your experience is sure to be unforgettable.
Just as the Louvre saw a significant increase in visitors after the publication of “The Da Vinci Code,” the restoration of the David acted as an amplifier for Florentine tourism, but more importantly for the foundations that sponsored the intervention, gaining substantial image returns.
On the other hand, the art world operates according to market parameters: the funds required for conservation and preservation come from large corporations, which, by attaching their brand to events like exhibitions and restorations, gain excellent publicity.
However, this is contingent on them sponsoring the most famous works executed by the artists deemed most important at the expense of an incredibly rich and diverse heritage that, as a result, is at risk of being lost to decay.
FIVE CURIOUS facts about statue of david by michelangelo
01. David’s right hand is not proportionate to the rest of his body. It’s believed that Michelangelo made it larger as a nod to David’s nickname: manu fortis (strong in hand – forte a mano).
02. Michelangelo was the first artist to depict a statue of David without Goliath. This is because he chose to sculpt this biblical hero just before the moment of battle.
03. Two other sculptors had previously rejected the block of marble used by Michelangelo for this world-famous artwork. It had to wait forty years before Michelangelo made it globally renowned.
04. Fans of The Simpsons might have already seen David in this popular TV show episode. In that episode, David’s private parts were censored as he was wearing a pair of shorts. This event is not just fictional! In 1857, the Grand Duchess of Tuscany presented a replica of Michelangelo’s David to Queen Victoria of England. However, she was so shocked by the nudity that she decided to add a fig leaf in a strategic place. You can still see this sculpture at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
05. Every year, over eight million visitors flock to the Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo’s David. All this foot traffic causes nearly constant tremors, creating tiny tears in the marble. Consequently, the statue needs fairly regular restoration. It’s also vacuumed every two months.
Michelangelo’s David is so significant in our art history that you can’t leave Florence without seeing it with your own eyes.
