David with the Head of Goliath thumbnail 1
David with the Head of Goliath thumbnail 2
+2
images
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

David with the Head of Goliath

Statue
c.1475 (sculpted), ca. 1899 (cast)
Artist/Maker
Del Verrocchio, Andrea (sculptor)
Place of origin
Florence (sculpted)
Berlin (cast)

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

Category
Sculpture
Object type
Statue
TitleDavid with the Head of Goliath (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Plaster cast, painted plaster.
Plaster
Paint
Casting
Painting
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
  • Height: 126.5cm
Gallery label
(2014)
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.
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
Heads (Body Parts)
Boys
Armour
David (King)
Goliath
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
REPRO.1899-55

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJuly 10, 2000
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O41454/david-with-the-head-of-statue-del-verrocchio-andrea/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest