Historical Context
Commissioned by the Overseers of the Office of Works (the Operai) of the Duomo, Florence's cathedral in 1501 to be a symbol of the city, Michelangelo's Statue of David is regarded as one of the artist's, and the period's, most important sculptural works.
Standing 14 feet high and weighing over 5 tons it was carved from a single block of marble that had already rejected by other artists.
Michelangelo was only 26 when he began this work and unlike other statues of David, he depicted his subject before his battle with Goliath, using the contrapposto pose to convey his subject's pent-up sense of energy before battle.
Artifact Info
Location: Florence, Italy
Source: Academia
Related Events
- 1501-08-16 Michelangelo awarded the contract to create his statue of David at Florence Cathedral by the Overseers of the Office of Works (the Operai) of the Duomo
- 1501-09-13 Michelangelo begins work on his statue of David, a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture
- 1504-09-08 Michelangelo's statue of David is unveiled in Florence
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