David thumbnail 1
David thumbnail 2
+20
images
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Sculpture, Room 111, The Gilbert Bayes Gallery

David

Statuette
1490-1520 (moulded)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Florence (made)

Both clay and terracotta objects can take a variety of surface finishes. These add detail, vitality and colour to the finished piece as in this instance. The figure still has traces of the original paint and gesso (priming layer). Such figures were produced in large numbers using moulds. They were then worked over to enhance the surface decoration. The decorative motifs on the hem of the robe were made by the repeated use of stamps.


Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Religion
Access_to_Images 2003
SCRAN
Object type
Statuette
TitleDavid (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Terracotta, made from moulded clay, stamped and painted
Terracotta
Brief description
Statuette of David in terracotta, Italy (Florence), 1490-1520
Physical description
Statuette of David in terracotta. The figure of David is posed frontally on an irregular naturalistic base. Under his left foot lies the head of Goliath with a stone lying in front of him.
Dimensions
  • Height: 42.9cm
Subjects depicted
Armour
Crowns (Headdresses)
David
Goliath
Summary
Both clay and terracotta objects can take a variety of surface finishes. These add detail, vitality and colour to the finished piece as in this instance. The figure still has traces of the original paint and gesso (priming layer). Such figures were produced in large numbers using moulds. They were then worked over to enhance the surface decoration. The decorative motifs on the hem of the robe were made by the repeated use of stamps.
Bibliographic references
  • Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1860. In: Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, Arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol I. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 42
  • Maclagan, Eric and Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture. Text. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1932, p. 64
  • Paoletti, John T. 'The Bargello David and Public Sculpture in Fifteenth-century Florence'. In: Steadman Sheard, Wendy and Paoletti, John T., eds, Collaboration in Italian Renaissance Art, New Haven and London, 1978, p. 107 note 6
  • Pope-Hennessy, John. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Volume I: Text. Eighth to Fifteenth Century. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1964, p. 192
  • Arnoldi, Franceso Negri, 'Scultura Italiana al Victoria and Albert Museum I&II. In: Commentari, anno XXI, June-July 1970. Fascicoli, pp. 212-213
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
7402-1860

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Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O17196/david-statuette-unknown/
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