David with the Head of Goliath
Statue
c.1475 (sculpted), ca. 1899 (cast)
c.1475 (sculpted), ca. 1899 (cast)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Taken from departmental record: 'Statue of David, standing and holding a short sword in his right hand; his left rests on his hip. At his feet is the head of Goliath.'
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | David with the Head of Goliath (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Plaster cast, painted plaster. |
| Brief description | Plaster cast, painted plaster, of David with the head of Goliath, after the bronze original with traces of gilding in the Museo Nazionale (Bargello), Florence, by Andrea del Verrocchio, in about 1475. Probably cast in Berlin, about 1899. |
| Physical description | Taken from departmental record: 'Statue of David, standing and holding a short sword in his right hand; his left rests on his hip. At his feet is the head of Goliath.' |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | The biblical figure of David was used as a symbol of freedom by the Florentine Republic. Verrocchio made his David as a challenge to a statue of the same subject by Donatello, a cast of which is displayed nearby. With its finely detailed clothing and the startlingly naturalistic head of Goliath, Verrocchio's figure introduced a new realism.
In the 19th century, it was one of the most famous sculptures of the Italian Renaissance and the leading cast collections all included a copy of it.(2014) |
| Object history | Acquired as an exchange with the Kaiser Friedrich Museum, Berlin, in 1899 |
| Historical context | This work is documented as a Medici commission, although it is not certain whether it was ordered by Piero di Cosimo de 'Medici (1416-69) or by one of his sons, Lorenzo (the Magnificent) (1449-92) or Giuliano (1479-1516). In 1476, Lorenzo and his brother sold Verrocchio's David to the Florentine Signoria for the Palazzo Vecchio. In 1898, the figure passed into the Museo Nazionale |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | REPRO.1899-55 |
About this object record
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| Record created | July 10, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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