The sculpture of David was supposed to be a statue of Hercules |

31 Jul 2021

The sculpture of David was originally to be a statue of Hercules.

The sculpture of David was supposed to be a statue of Hercules

The sculpture of David was supposed to be a statue of HerculesOne of Michelangelo's famous sculptures today is the statue called David. This statue was based on the figure of David, a Hebrew king from the Bible.

However, it was originally supposed to be a statue of Hercules. Specifically, people believe that Michelangelo based David's pose on depictions of Hercules. Hercules was a hero with deep ties to the city of Florence in Italy. It appeared on the Florentine seal for centuries. So, creating such a graceful statue in the Roman tradition, Michelangelo instantly embraced the work.

Michelangelo created David from a piece of marble that other sculptors had twice discarded. He simply used a mallet, and chisels, and other tools to sculpt a figure from the marble block. Michelangelo was so involved in the work that he sculpted at night by attaching candles to his hat. However, it took about 40 years to give the shape of that marble piece into a piece of art.
Significance of David
The people of Florence adopted David as a symbol of their own struggle against the Medici (a powerful banking family). So, in 1504 they decided that Michelangelo's creation was too good to place high on the cathedral. Instead, they installed it in a much more popular place near the Palazzo Della Signoria, the main square of the city.

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