Visual Analysis Of Michelangelo's David

Visual Analysis - David by Michelangelo

Description: David
Artist: Michelangelo, 1501-1504
Media: Carrara marble
Dimensions: 5.16-metre (16 feet and 11.15 inches)
Weight: 6 tons (12,478 lbs)
Location: Galleria dell'Accademia (since 1873)

Analysis
Michelangelo’s David is considered by some to be the earliest monumental statue of the High Renaissance period. Originally commissioned in 1501 to be placed on one of the buttresses of the famed Il Duomo di Firenze, or the Florence Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower, the city’s fathers chose instead to place him in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in the Piazza della Signoria, as the symbol of Florence’s battle to maintain independence. Weighing over 5.5 tons and standing 17 feet tall, it …show more content…
The massive size of the sculpture is significant because it was the first time that such a large scale nude statue was made since antiquity. The contemplative look upon this David’s face focuses on the future rather than dwelling on the past. Florence at the time, in which Michelangelo created the colossal and contemplative David, was fraught with turbulence as the power shifted from the Medici family to the city government. The city adopted David as their symbol of their struggle for independence from the aggressors in the ruling Medici family. Michelangelo’s David exemplified the qualities the citizens of Florence wished for …show more content…
This particular sculpture epitomizes the ideal male form. This marble sculpture is so detailed one could easily imagine him hoping down and walking away from his platform. I read that Michelangelo studied the human body from the inside out and therefor gave great consideration to anatomically correct details. The fact that there is no record of anyone sitting for him as he worked highlights his impressive talent. He did not need a model as others did, because he had knowledge. His technique of chiseling the massive marble David as his model mock-up became revealed in an ever decreasingly full bucket of water was brilliant. I would love to one day see this sculpture in

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