David

This may be Michelangelo's most famous sculpture. It certainly is one of the highlights of Renaissance art. It shows David as he is preparing to attack the giant Goliath. The work was commissioned by the Florentine nobleman Piero Soderini.

The torso is proportionally oversized. This was probably done because the work was to be put on a high pedestal. When one looks up to the David from way down, perspective creates the correct proportions.

David spent more than 300 years in the open air, on the Piazza Signoria in Florence. The sculpture was moved to the Accademia in 1873. A copy was placed on the Piazza in 1910. This photo was taken before the sculpture was cleaned in 2004.