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Donatello's Bronze David

Type Object Region Europe Time 1430–1440

Donatello's bronze David, made in the 1430s–1440s, is a rare early Renaissance freestanding nude sculpture, distinct from Michelangelo's later marble…

Timeline

  1. c. 1430–1435Florence · FlorenceDonatello conceived a bronze David that could stand independently for the Medici patronage environment, choosing the combination of a nude youth and Goliath's head, treating the biblical hero as a classical round sculpture rather than a draped saint in a church niche.
  2. c. 1435–1445Florence · FlorenceThe statue was cast by the lost-wax method and surface-finished, standing about 158 cm tall; the contrapposto stance and props such as the helmet, sword, and head make the work viewable from all sides, making it a key artifact of early Renaissance freestanding sculpture.
  3. 1444–1495Medici Palace, Florence · FlorenceThe bronze David long served as the visual centerpiece of the Medici house courtyard, showing visitors the family's classical taste and political confidence; after the Medici were expelled in 1495, the republic moved it to a public place, and the work passed from a private symbol to a civic collection.

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