20th Century Bust of David Sculpture Marble

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20th Century Bust of David Sculpture Marble

About the Item

20th century Bust of David Marble, 40 x 18 x 10 cm On 16 August 1501 the consuls of the Arte della Lana and the Opera del Duomo of Florence commissioned a statue of King David from Michelangelo, to be placed in one of the external buttresses located in the apse area of ??the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. This was an unprecedented feat in Renaissance art and which had already been attempted twice. The huge block of white marble intended for the work had in fact already been sketched first by Agostino di Duccio in 1463-1464 and then by Antonio Rossellino in 1476, but then it had been abandoned by both of them due to the non-optimal characteristics of the piece, also because it had been roughly roughened and this limited the possibilities of intervention. The huge statue was transported, in four days until May 18, 1504, with the participation of more than forty men, in charge of towing and supervising the sliding inside a wooden cage, which kept the marble carefully detached from the bottom, sliding on beams greased with tallow grease, to avoid vibrations that could damage it. During the journey, during a night break, a group of young people loyal to the pro-Medici faction, ousted from power, attacked the statue by stoning it, as a recognized symbol of the republican government: the symbolic value of the work was already extremely evident. Michelangelo finished the statue in place by painting the tree trunk behind the right leg in gold and adding brass garlands with gilded copper leaves that encircled the head and sling strap. The Giuditta was moved under the loggia on June 8th. A few days later, on the 11th, the execution of an adequate base was entrusted to Simone del Pollaiolo and Antonio da Sangallo, so that on 8 September of that year the David could be placed in its place, "provided and discovered by all ", however exposed to atmospheric agents. The David was turned south-west, as a sign of defiance to the enemy populations ready to attack Florence. Another statue was to be placed next to him, depicting Hercules, to symbolize both the physical (Hercules) and intellectual (David) strength of the Florentines and the Signoria, but this second statue was never made by Michelangelo and only later was sculpted by Baccio Bandinelli. The success of Michelangelo's David was immediate. The humanist Pomponio Gaurico in his dialogue De Sculptura of 1504 brings it as an example of sublime art, as did Benedetto Varchi years later, while the words of Giorgio Vasari in the Lives of 'the most excellent painters, sculptors and architects in the edition of 1550 "[...] and truly that this work has removed the cry from all the modern and ancient statues, whether Greek or Latin, that they had [...] because in it they are outlines of beautiful legs and hangings and speed of divine hips; never again has we seen a posture so sweet, nor grace that such a thing matches, neither feet, nor hands, nor head that to each of its members of artifice goodness and parity, nor of design is so much accorded. Since the time of its first appearance, the statue of David was celebrated as the work capable of changing the aesthetic taste of its time and establishing itself as an ideal expression of the Renaissance, thanks to the application of the anatomical study in order to render powerful virile forms and harmonious the image of the heroic nude, whose form was the physical realization, of a complex set of philosophical and aesthetic values. The Florentines identified with the athletic and proud aspect of the young hero, interpreting him as an expression of the strength and power of the city itself in the moment of its maximum splendor; for the supporters of the Republic it became the symbol of the victory of democracy over the tyranny previously exercised by the Medici family.

Dimensions:
Height: 15.75 in (40 cm)Width: 7.09 in (18 cm)Depth: 3.94 in (10 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Marble
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
20th Century
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Milan, IT
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU5918226508662