image by WVjazzman
Everyone knows David by Michelangelo, maybe the most popular statue in the world. But there are more David statues in Florence. It seems a tradition in Florence sculpting David.
The small David against the powerful and big Goliath represent Florence itself, small but facing other bigger states.
Sorted a chronological order, the first and the second David, are by Donatello and both are at the Bargello National Museum.
The first David ( 1412) is by marble. This is an early work intended for a buttress of the Duomo. This David is fully dressed, still in a gothic spirit.
After about twenty years from the first one, the second David ( in the picture), made for the Medici courtyard, is totally new. It’s a bonze statue of a sensual young man, almost nake, but wearing a helmet and boots. This is the first free standing nude statue since the antiquity. It is recently restored and now it shows a golden decoration on its hairs.
This graceful and sensual nake body was a very controversial statue.
The third is the Verrocchio‘s version ( 1473-1475). It is represent a triumphant, dressed, young man with the head of Goliath near his feet. The Goliath head is movable and its different placement bring different understandings.
The statue is in Bargello National museum.
The forth is the very famous Michelangelo’s masterpiece. No need a presentation: it is probably the most famous statue of the world. Finished in 1504 it takes 2 years to sculpt it.
It is at the Accademy Gallery, just 2oo meters from our hotel.
The Michelangelos’ version shares its symbolism with Donatello’s Davids and Verrocchio’s one (and also with Donatello’s Giuditta) , but the representation is totally different.
He is completely naked and there is no Goliath head among his feet. Michelangelo, broken the tradition, has intented to represent David before the fight. Nevertheless, he is a winner: its victory is in his eyes since he is determine and ready to combat.
In 2004, by the time of its 500th anniversary, it was restored and cleaned. Nowadays the is a debate about a relocation of the David
