Michelangelo's David.
what can you say
about Michelangelo's work that has not been said. it is breathtaking.
I have seen his most
famous work --David -- three times before in Florence. Yesterday was the fourth time. and yet I still am in awe every time I see
it.
yesterday, PJ, Tom
and I went to the Galleria della Accademia to see Michelangelo's David.
it is mesmerizing. it is awe inspiring.
in addition to the
exquisite work of art, the amazing sculpture itself, the David statue speaks to
so many significant issues. for example:
the Biblical story
behind David is such a great one. how
this young man with his cunning and intellect was able to slay the giant
Goliath.
the role that this
one sculpture played in the history of Florence, where it stood in front of the
Palazzo Vecchio as the symbol of the new approach to civil liberties for its
citizens and for the world. an approach
that was more open and free. Now, a copy
stands in front of the seat of the government of Florence (Palazzo Vecchio),
with the original in the Accademia for protection from pollution and potential
vandalism.
the importance of
this one sculpture in the dawn of the Renaissance, and the end of the Middle
Ages.
the focus on the
anatomy. Michelangelo was a very serious
student of the anatomy. he had special permission
to dissect the bodies of dead
Florentines just so he could learn more about the anatomy.
the breakthrough that
this statue represented in the display of nudity, in the humanization of a
hero.
Michelangelo was only
26 when he was commissioned to do David.
he only took three years to do it. and he continued working until his
death at the age of 89.
words cannot do this
artistic work justice.
Really like reading the history of the sights you take in. I always learn something new, and this time, about the David. Thanks. Denise
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