Yesterday was painting, today was sculpture. At the Academia, we saw Michelangelo's real David (1504) and the prisoners. After 300 years of exposure to the elements outside the Palazzo Vecchio (where the fake David now stands), David was moved to this museum, specifically designed to showcase him. I sneaked a picture and we lingered here, finding a spot to sit down and just gaze at this magnificent statue, exuding confidence and power. Michelangelo said that sculpting was freeing the soul that was bound in the marble and that's just what made his prisoners so intriguing, struggling to get free from the stone. The prisoners were designed for a fake cave, the Grotto, at the Pitti Palace, where there are fake prisoners now - which I could photograph.
Over the years, David, giant slayer, replaced St. George, dragon slayer, as the symbol of Florence. There are sculptural interpretations of David's story throughout the museums. We saw four more later in the Bargello, two by Donatello, one by Verrocchio, and another Michelangelo David/Apollo, none holding a candle to "The David". Also in the Bargello, which had been the prison at one time, we saw Giambologna's Mercury, which was on our Mercury dime, and where we were able to have a little fun with the pieces in the courtyard.
No comments:
Post a Comment