Michelangelo's David - 8 views

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  #1 Sandy Johnson on 15 Feb 11

   

  "In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it."-Michelangelo
  
  Michelangelo's David was a masterpiece created by the Italian artist Michelangelo between 1501 and 1504 when the artist was 26 years old. The 17 ft marble statue represented the biblical character, David. The statue was originally created to be positioned with a series of statues of prophets, on the roofline of the east end of the Florence Cathedral. Once it was completed the size and weight made it impossible to hoist to the roof line.
  
  The statue was started by Florentine sculptor Agostino di Duccio in 1463. It is unclear why he left the project and ten years later Antonio Rossellino was commissioned to take up where Agostino had left off. Rossellino was also terminated from the project and the marble piece was left exposed to the elements for 25 years. In 1501 Michelangelo was given the contract to complete the block of stone which they had named "The Giant". It took more than two years for the statue to be completed. The statue was originally placed in a public square outside of the Palazzo della Signoria and was moved to the Accademia Gallery in Florence in 1873 to protect it from the elements. A replica was put at the original location in 1910.
  
  506 years later a fiberglass replica of the David statue was set into place where the original statue was intended. The statue remained on the roofline of the Florence Cathedral for one day only so that photographs could be taken. These photographs show how the Operai, who commissioned the project, actually intended it to be.
  
  The link below will take you to the news article at Discovery.com which shows the statue as it was to have been.
  
  http://news.discovery.com/history/michelangelos-david-as-it-was-meant-to-be-seen.html

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">"In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it."-Michelangelo <br /> <br /> Michelangelo's David was a masterpiece created by the Italian artist Michelangelo between 1501 and 1504 when the artist was 26 years old. The 17 ft marble statue represented the biblical character, David. The statue was originally created to be positioned with a series of statues of prophets, on the roofline of the east end of the Florence Cathedral. Once it was completed the size and weight made it impossible to hoist to the roof line. <br /> <br /> The statue was started by Florentine sculptor Agostino di Duccio in 1463. It is unclear why he left the project and ten years later Antonio Rossellino was commissioned to take up where Agostino had left off. Rossellino was also terminated from the project and the marble piece was left exposed to the elements for 25 years. In 1501 Michelangelo was given the contract to complete the block of stone which they had named "The Giant". It took more than two years for the statue to be completed. The statue was originally placed in a public square outside of the Palazzo della Signoria and was moved to the Accademia Gallery in Florence in 1873 to protect it from the elements. A replica was put at the original location in 1910. <br /> <br /> 506 years later a fiberglass replica of the David statue was set into place where the original statue was intended. The statue remained on the roofline of the Florence Cathedral for one day only so that photographs could be taken. These photographs show how the Operai, who commissioned the project, actually intended it to be. <br /> <br /> The link below will take you to the news article at Discovery.com which shows the statue as it was to have been. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://news.discovery.com/history/michelangelos-david-as-it-was-meant-to-be-seen.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://news.discovery.com/history/michelangelos-david-as-it-was-meant-to-be-seen.html</a></div>

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  #2 R. J. Hernandez-Diaz on 16 Feb 11

   

  It's quite striking to see the fiberglass reproduction of David standing on the Florence cathedral. Very interesting. Thanks, Sandy.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">It's quite striking to see the fiberglass reproduction of David standing on the Florence cathedral. Very interesting. Thanks, Sandy.</div>

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  #3 Sandy Johnson on 19 Feb 11

   

  I was at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip yesterday for work - ran into a fullsize replica of David. He is everywhere!!

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">I was at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip yesterday for work - ran into a fullsize replica of David. He is everywhere!!</div>

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