Why it matters
Donatello's bronze David was the first unsupported standing bronze of the Renaissance and the first free-standing male nude made since antiquity. The young hero, naked but for a hat and boots, rests his foot on Goliath's head with an enigmatic smile.
Did you know?
- It was probably made in the 1440s, most likely for Cosimo de' Medici.
- Its creation is undocumented, so its date is widely disputed.
- Donatello had earlier made a marble David, also in the Bargello.
Based on the Wikipedia article David (Donatello, bronze) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
