Friday, January 29, 2010

Art Trivia Question 4

How tall is Michelangelo's statue of David?

a. 12 feet
b. 25 feet
c. 8 feet
d. 17 feet

The answer is D, 17 feet!

David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture sculpted by Michelangelo from 1501 to 1504. Interestingly enough, the height of the statue was originally recorded incorrectly, so many art history books state that David is at least 3 ft shorter than his true height. The 5.17 meter (17 ft) marble statue portrays the Biblical King David in the nude. Unlike previous depictions of David which portray the hero after his victory over Goliath, Michelangelo chose to represent David before the fight contemplating the battle yet to come. It came to symbolize the defense of civil liberties embodied in the Florentine Republic. If you have the chance to go to Italy, you must visit David at the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence. If you can't wait for a trip to Florence, Ringling Museum in Sarasota, FL has one of many replicas of David, this one cast in bronze.

Stay curious,
Team ARC

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