Renaissance Art | Michelangelo, Florence, Italy, Sculpture of David, Medici, Italian Art

Michelangelo's David After entering at the other end of the grand arching interior, we truly marvel as David towers above us, three times life size. However, before arriving at David there are four sculptures by Michelangelo which remain unfinished. They are still in the process of escaping the stone blocks from which they were carved, A phrase referring to Michelangelo's view on sculpture itself. Initially they were commissioned by the Medici to stand in the Pitti Palace. The sculptures were moved here inside the L'Accademia at the start of the 20th century. As you wander in past these sculptures escaping the stone, you are mesmerized by Michelangelo's incredible feat of genius. David Standing tall atop a pediment under the dome. Initially his sculpture was intended to crown the lantern above the Duomo. This idea was scrapped and instead he stood outside for nearly 400 years in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, which was a Florentine city hall until it was taken over and served as one of the Medici palaces. At one point during a riot in 1527 the Palazzo Vecchio was raided by angry citizens. During the ensuing madness a couch was thrown out the window breaking off David's left arm. L'Accademia allows us to come face to face or face to feet with David as his feet are at head high and his head another 17 feet above us. He is carved out of pure Carrara marble, a pure white glowing stone comprised of microscopic calcium carbonate crystals with naturally occurring smoky grey veins cutting through the stone. The light streaming in from above highlights the microscopic crystals within the Carrara marble further elevating the exquisite artistry of Michelangelo. In David himself we see a Jewish boy who would later become a king after slaying the Philistine Goliath. He is carved in a contrapposto style perfected by pagan Greek and Romans yet was commissioned for a devoutly Christian society. The profound presence of the sculpture can remind us of the varied influences that both defined and set in motion the Renaissance as a whole from Islam to Judaism as well as pagan belief systems and beyond.