On September 8, 1504, a statue of David by the great Michelangelo Bujnarotti was erected in Florence's Piazza della Signoria.
The ancient hero, the distant ancestor of Jesus Christ and the king of the people of Israel, is depicted in full-length, naked. In one hand he holds a stone, in the other a sling, preparing for a fight with the giant Goliath. This figure is considered the standard of male beauty and strength.
Michelangelo created his creation from a single piece of Carrara marble. It took the artist almost 3 years to create a sculpture with a height of more than 5 meters.
"You have created what can be called beauty itself", – the Florentines told Michelangelo.
The fate of the marble David was not easy. It was shelled by rebels, damaged by vandals. To protect the statue from encroachments, it was brought to the halls of the Academy of Arts, and an exact copy was placed on the square.
Today, Michelangelo Buonarotti's David is considered the pinnacle of art, sculpture, as well as the greatest masterpiece of Renaissance art.
Image: Britannica