David by Michelangelo

Exhibited at Galleria dell'Accadmia, Florence, 1501-1504
credit here

Opinion: I saw the David when I was in Florence, Italy with my nana the summer before freshmen year. I was in awe of its magnificence and considered it to be the high light of my trip. In all honesty, I didn’t understand how a human being could create something so massive and perfect out of stone.

Theory: The David was created by the High Renaissance master sculpture Michelangelo in the early sixteenth century. David is shown in the moments before he slung the rock at his foe. His whole muscular body, as well as his face is tense with gathering power and conveys the psychological tension. The physique of David and the fact that he is nude is a reference to the classical style. Michelangelo not only captured the psychological insight of the Hellenistic, but moved beyond it by having David emotionally and compositionally connected to an unseen presence.