Gian Lorenzo Bernini:David

Gian Lorenzo Bernini's David is a marble statue made in 1623–1624 for Cardinal Scipione Borghese and preserved in Rome's Galleria Borghese. It depicts the biblical hero as he prepares to hurl a stone at Goliath. The turning torso, bent legs and taut sling give the figure a concentrated physical energy. Saul's armour lies at his feet, identifying equipment David rejected before the encounter. Bernini originally planned the sculpture for a position against a wall, controlling how its action unfolded before the viewer. Unlike a figure posed after victory, this David makes preparation, effort and expectation central to the subject.