Meeting David, Visiting Accademia
by: Lauren Clouser
On our first day in Florence we visited the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze or Accademia Gallery, a museum that is famous for housing sculptures by Michelangelo, including one of his most famous, “David.”
We met with our tour guide, Elena, who took us into the Hall of Prisoners. We first saw “Slaves,” which were four unfinished sculptures by Michelangelo that were made for a pope’s tomb. The tomb was eventually downsized, and the figures were no longer needed.
Our guide explained that Michelangelo left the sculptures incomplete on purpose. The figures seem to be struggling to break out of the marble, much like how our soul has to struggle to break free from the weakness of our bodies. Elena also said that it represents Michelangelo’s belief that the figures he carved were already in the marble, and that he just had to free them.
Elena explained that Michelangelo preferred sculpting to painting and only used the best marble. Both “Slaves” and “David” are made of Carrara marble, a material that needed to be transported from a quarry nearly 80 miles away from Florence. Elena pointed out that the marks on “Slaves” show that Michelangelo was left handed, which was frowned upon in his time because the left hand supposedly belonged to the devil.
“David” stood at the end of the hall under a rounded dome. The 17-foot sculpture is one of Michelangelo’s most famous works, and it depicts the biblical hero who took down Goliath with a single stone. In this sculpture, David prepares for battle, clutching his sling shot.
I thought that the amount of detail in the statue was remarkable. Michelangelo even included veins throughout David’s body. Visitors are able to walk all around the sculpture to take in every angle.
Elena explained that the sculpture of David was originally intended to be part of the cathedral of Florence, yet it was deemed too beautiful to be up so high. Instead, it stood outside in the Piazza della Signoria, the political center of Florence.
Michelangelo’s studio was only half a mile away from the square, but it took four days to delicately move the statue. “David” stood outside of the Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall of Florence. The sculpture was adjacent to the Loggia dei Lanzi, an open building that displayed other sculptures such as the Medici lions and Perseus, a mythological hero who slayed Medusa.
In the 1800s “David” was moved to the nearby Accademia Gallery to better preserve it and to protect it from the elements. There is now a replica of “David” in the Piazza della Signoria, where he once stood.
Elena also provided more insight into Michelangelo himself. Michelangelo was raised in Florence, and it was there that he became an apprentice to a painter at the age of 13. Once word of his talent spread he was taken in by a member of the Medici family.
The Medici family was very rich and powerful, and they were known for their art patronage. Michelangelo was able to study the sculptures in the Medici gardens. Because of his connection with the Medici, he was able to learn from the famous sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni.
Michelangelo gathered fame in Florence before he was eventually commissioned to do more work in Rome. Elena also mentioned that Michelangelo was arrogant and was a difficult person to get along with.
Regardless of his temperament, Michelangelo’s works are still famous and highly regarded, even after hundreds of years. His works still continue to draw visitors (like us) from all over the world.