I finally
found an opportunity to disconnect from everything that I have been doing and
sip a nice cup of tea (earl grey to be
specific). I was just about to start blogging about Edinburgh but for no
reason (this happens to me quite often)
I started thinking about my travel moments that left me completely in awe. The first one was Grand Canyon (for 10 minutes, after which I got bored)
and the second one was Michelangelo's David (The
statue of David from the popular legend of David and Goliath). This time, I was in awe for definitely more
than 10 minutes J and in fact a lot longer. I had goose bumps
when I saw this for the first time and gazed at it for almost an hour. I am
pretty certain that the people around me had been looking at it for much longer
than that. And I would not miss seeing
the original for anything if I was in Florence.
Location: Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence /Creator: Michelangelo/How old? : 510 years. It was created in 1504
So what
makes the David so special in a place like Florence which is honestly an
overdose of sculptures and great art and especially when you are first greeted
with a replica of David at Piazza Della Signoria? Many might say that this is
just another statue in white marble at the end of the day. And also many others
had sculpted David including Donatello
(in the Bargello Museum) which I really like as well. So why does Michangelo’s
David stand out from the rest?
Well to
understand the magnificence of David, a bit of context is necessary.
Florence was the place to be when Michelangelo carved David like New York is the
place to be today. The stone out of which David was carved was rejected by most
sculptors for its quality or lack of one. Michelangelo worked on it for almost
3 years and was hardly 30 when he carved David. A statue this size was the first of its kind
in terms of its size and resemblance to being life like. It is almost 17 feet
tall and the precision is immaculate. The statue clearly demonstrates the
intricate understanding of human body. It was the ultimate symbol of the Renaissance Man. If you look closely, you can see that
Michelangelo carved his veins as well. And yes, that was the moment (when I saw David’s veins) that I was
totally spellbound! Also, David’s expression is perplexing. From one side he
seems unsure (front), tensed and as
if he is preparing to fight Goliath. From the back he seems more confident and
victorious. Most people agree to the former expression (including me, primarily because you see his forehead has wrinkles like
he is in deep thought) but it is up to you to decide.
Just like
the Mona Lisa, David has been constantly attacked. During the time when Savonarola
was influential, David’s hand was broken which was preserved by Vasari and
later appended to the statue. Also, in 1991 a man tried to damage David with a
hammer and that certainly added to its popularity. The David now sits securely
behind a glass. But that doesn’t deter its beauty.
I don’t
understand art and sculptures. But to admire David I don’t think you need to
have an understanding of art. A little history and context might help. David is
a masterpiece and is absolutely worth the hype. And I would definitely gaze at
David again when I go back to Florence.
