Why it matters
A nude youth seems to emerge from the marble, parts of the original block still attached behind him. Michelangelo carved him in 1513–1516 for the tomb of Pope Julius II, but the slaves were eventually left out of the final monument.
Did you know?
- It stands 215 cm tall.
- It was meant to accompany the Rebellious Slave, also in the Louvre.
- Four other slaves remain unfinished, still partly embedded in their blocks.
- Michelangelo gave it to Ruberto Strozzi around 1546, in thanks for his hospitality during illness.
Based on the Wikipedia article Dying Slave (CC BY-SA 4.0).
