How Michelangelo made David a real giant

In Rome, Michelangelo lived very close to the Column of Trajan - a vivid example of the complex technologies that existed among the ancient Romans. The column is formed of 20 colossal marble blocks, weighing 32 tons each. Raising each such block, especially at the end of the column, for that time was a real engineering feat. But in the Renaissance, this was simply not feasible.

It is well known that Filippo Brunelleschi developed a number of ingenious hoisting machines, such as a crane, which were used in the construction of the dome of the Cathedral of Florence. But not one of these devices was able to lift David Michelangelo to his supposed place - the high support of the cathedral. It was a deliberately impossible task, and most likely, Michelangelo knew this.

Not a single artist wanted to undertake the task of carving a 5-meter sculpture from a huge block of marble, until the 26-year-old ambitious sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti got down to business. And it was this statue that became the beginning of his grandiose career, bringing the young artist unprecedented recognition. In fact, David became a decisive work in the work of the great master.

But the sculpture is completely revolutionary. For the first time, David was not depicted after the fight, but before her - assembled, fearless, ready for anything. At the same time, it is surprising that the statue is completely naked - which is not typical of canons decorating the cathedrals of that time. It is this moment that suggests that, taking up work, Michelangelo already knew about the impracticability of this task, in its intended purpose. And this knowledge freed him from complying with all conventions.

David made the 29-year-old (at the time of the end of the work) artist famous, after his creation, Michelangelo never experienced a shortage of orders. In addition to perfect execution, the original interpretation of the plot created legends about the sculptor’s genius, stimulating a huge demand for his works. All this could have been completely different if the statue had been made in accordance with its direct purpose - to decorate the cathedral.