Statue Of David Buonarroti

This week I toured and explored the famous Academia, home to Michelangelo Buonarroti’s many wonderful pieces including the statue of David. The David was carved by Michelangelo from 1501-1504. It was originally intended for one of the buttresses of the cathedral in Florence and was designed to be effective at a distance of forty feet. However, after it was finished, the Signoria placed it in front of the Palazzo della Signoria as a symbol of the Florentine Republic. The statue of David is incredible. It is a lot bigger than I expected and the detail of the man was impeccable. Michelangelo’s attention to fine detail, like the veins, fingernails, and outlines of the muscles, brought Michael to life. The stance of the statue was very realistic;

Matthew, and the Palestrina Pieta. The Prisoners were carved from the years 1527-1530. They were intended for Pope Julius II’s tomb. It was initially supposed to be a three story free-standing structure but the plan fell through. The project for the tomb became smaller and many of the statues were rejected. After Michelanglo’s death, his nephew, Leonardo Buonarroti, gave his uncle’s statues to Cosimo I, whom placed them in the Boboli Gardens. The statues that are housed in the Academia are Atlas, Awakening Prisoner, Bearded Prisoner, and The Beardless Prisoner. Each of them symbolize: the territories conquered by Pope Julius II, arts imprisoned because of the death of the Pope, and the Neo-Platonic view of the body as earthy prison of the soul. Each of the prisoners is unique and has its own story to tell. My favorite of the prisoners was Atlas. Atlas is a free-standing statue that looks as if the man is holding the world. The man also looks as if he is emerging from the stone and that the weight of it was painful and heavy. Another really cool detail of that prisoner was the detail of where you can see the man’s

Giamobologna is a Flemish Mannerist sculptor moved to Florence in 1555. He carving an important and spectacular work statue called the Abduction of the Sabine Woman. The Abduction of the Sabine Woman was carved in 1586 for Cosimo I. The sculpator is of three marble figures that are interlocked in action. The statue is of a Roman myth in which two men are fighting over a woman. The sculptor of the three people is remarkable. The skill of the artist is seen in every aspect of the statue. The hair of the three people is realistic; the deep drilling of the hair gives a light and dark aspect. The muscles and veins of the men can be seen. I personally thought the sculptor created by Giamobologna was more impressive than the David. The people in the Abduction looked as if they were in action, as if they were frozen in time, and had a more realistic look to them. It also gave me emotions of sadness for the woman and anger at the two