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David is a masterpiece [1] [2] of Italian Renaissance sculpture, created from 1501 to 1504 by Michelangelo. With a height of 5.17 metres (17 ft 0 in), the David was the first colossal marble statue made in the early modern period following classical antiquity, a precedent for the 16th century and beyond. David was originally commissioned as one ...
At the Accademia Gallery, you can admire from a short distance the perfection of the most famous statue in Florence and, perhaps, in all the world: Michelangelo’s David. This astonishing Renaissance sculpture was created between 1501 and 1504 .
David, marble sculpture executed from 1501 to 1504 by the Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo. The statue was commissioned for one of the buttresses of the cathedral of Florence and was carved from a block of marble that had been partially blocked out by other sculptors and left outdoors.
Michelangelo's Statue of David is the perfection of the most famous sculpture in Florence and, perhaps, in all the world. In 1501 Michelangelo was commissioned to create the David by the Arte della Lana (Guild of Wool Merchant), who were responsible for the upkeep and the decoration of the Cathedral in Florence.
Michelangelo's defiant David statue has captivated the world for centuries. Considered one of art history's major masterpieces, the marble sculpture showcases both the artist's skill and the fine art focus that defines the Renaissance.
Left without a sculptor but too expensive to throw away, the massive slab sat out in the elements for a quarter century. In the summer of 1501 a new effort was made to find a sculptor who could finish the statue. The 26-year-old sculptor Michelangelo was chosen and given two years to complete it.
How high is he? Where is he located? What's the history and meaning of the statue? Learn this and more basic facts about David, one of the most famous statues in the world.
On 8 September 1504, the statue was unveiled to the city, to the admiration of all people. Originally some parts of the David were gilded: a garland on his head, the trunk (or “broncone”) behind the right leg and the sling. The sculpture, with its carved base, is 517 cm high and weighs 5560 kilos.
Find out more about Michelangelo's David – including fascinating discoveries made by our Sculpture Conservator, Johanna Puisto, in the V&A blog.
David is one of Michelangelo’s most-recognizable works, and has become one of the most recognizable statues in the entire world of art. Standing 13’5″ tall, the double life-sized David is depicted patiently waiting for battle, prepped with slingshot in one hand and stone in the other.
