Opera magazine
2016-08-16
A giant on the move: Michelangelo's David - part 1
One of the most important works by Michelangelo (Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, 1475 - 1564), the David statue, now one of the symbols of Renaissance and of Florence as well had quite a troubled history: the David started its “career” with two “reboots”, a thirtyseven years delay and a short but definitely dangerous and complicated journey…
One of the most important works by Michelangelo (Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, 1475 - 1564), the David statue, now one of the symbols of Renaissance and of Florence as well had quite a troubled history: the David started its “career” with two “reboots”, a thirtyseven years delay and a short but definitely dangerous and complicated journey…
Michelangelo was commissioned to build the David on August 16th 1501 (the original document is still in the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore archive), along with eleven more Old Testament statues for the buttresses of il Duomo - the Cathedral - from various artists.
Actually the original commission was to Agostino di Duccio (1418 - c. 1481) who started working in 1464 on a huge block of Carrara marble making… quite a mess of it.
He just outlined the sculpture causing some damages to the block.
In 1466 Agostino left the Opera and that marble block lingered untouched until 1466 - a second attempt by the sculptor Antonio Rossellino (1427 - 1479) ended up into another unfinished business, leaving the marble unused for more twentyfive years.
Finally in 1501 Michelangelo can put his hands on that huge block of Carrara marble, managed so far without the necessary ingenious, gifted approach.
At that time Michelangelo is still very young - he is just twentysix years old - but he already has some great works under his belt: the Madonna of the Stairs (or Madonna of the Steps); the Battle of the Centaurs; the polychrome Crucifix in Santa Maria del Santo Spirito; in Rome, the Pietà of the St. Peter's Basilica.
Basically: Michelangelo is already a genius and he knows that himself. He is cantankerous, in constant antagonism towards his “colleagues”.
Under his hands that Carrara marble block is going to become an unforgettable and unforgotten masterpiece. That Carrara marble block will become the David.
But troubles are not finished yet…
