♦ At the Accademia… A Date with David and So Much More ♦
If you’ve followed along with me, you’ll will know that I LOVE museums! And, so it follows that being in Florence, I would be in heaven!
So it is…with a catch, of course, there happens to be a pandemic! Fortunately, I did manage to squeeze in several visits before museums temporarily closed (November 2020), including a Date with David!
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Join me today at the Galleria Dell’Accademia…
♦ About the Galleria Dell’Accademia…
The Galleria Dell’Accademia is one of the best known and most visited museums in the world. A former monastery and convent, it occupies an entire block between Piazza Santissima Annunicata and via Ricasoli.
Over the years it has expanded and now, in addition to the works of Michelangelo, the collection includes many other masterpieces, an impressive collection of plaster casts and a musical instrument museum. (I’ll be sharing more about these in another post.)
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♦ A Few Words About the Genius of Michelangelo
“It is well with me only when I have a chisel in my hand.”
– Michelangelo
Michelangelo Buonarroti, born in 1475 in the Republic of Florence, displayed an extraordinary talent for art and sculpting at a very early age. This talent was recognized, nurtured, and patronized by none other than Lorenzo Di’Medici (aka Lorenzo the Magnificent).
Icon of the Renaissance and Western art, he lived a long (died in 1564 at the age of 88) and productive life. His talent as a sculptor, painter, architect and poet produced what are universally known as some of the greatest and most influential works of all time. In addition to David, his works famously include The Pieta, The Sistine Chapel Ceiling, and The Last Judgment.
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♦ David, The Giant
“The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.”
– Michelangelo
I’m not sure what to say that hasn’t already been said about Michelangelo’s David!? Simply mentioning the name, “David”, who doesn’t know what and who you’re referring to? Certainly his image has been plastered from every angle on every imaginable souvenir and keepsake ranging from borderline tasteful to all out tacky kitsch (I refer to certain parts of his anatomy on aprons and boxers!)
There are other statues of David in Florence. Copies, of course. One stands famously in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria (where the original once stood) and the other, in bronze, is situated in Piazzale Michelangelo.This location, famous for its perfect view of Florence, is a popular destination for locals and tourists.
David copies in front of Palazzo Vecchio and atop Piazzale Michelangelo
They are both wonderful, but there is only one David and we had a date!
♦ My Date with David
“If people knew how hard I worked it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.”
– Michelangelo
This wasn’t going to be my first “date” with David. I had seen him on at least two prior occasions. Note my postcard from 1997 (above), then again about eight years ago, and another “almost date” in 2019 (the staff decided to go on strike that evening and I was leaving the next day).
Alas, now in Florence, when I heard that the museums would probably be closing, I immediately booked a reservation for the earliest date and entry time available.
And, finally, a day before museums actually did close down, my first indication that this was going to be an exceptionally special visit was that there was NO queue. What?! No long lines at The Accademia?! Then, to my surprise (and delight), when I entered, the entire museum was virtually empty!
Honestly, I almost squealed with delight! My “date” with David was going to be very intimate! Practically private! Just so incredible…I was rendered speechless…and really, I was simply overwhelmed. Even now I can’t put into my reaction and feelings into words…
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♦ “The Gallery of the Slaves”: The Awakening Slave, The Young Slave, The Bearded Slave, Atlas
“The best artists that thought alone which is contained within the marble shell; The sculptor’s hand can only break the spell to free the figures slumbering in the stone.”
– Michelangelo
As you enter, the Galleria is lined with Michelangelo’s unfinished sculptures referred to as The Slaves or The Prisoners. Sculpted around 1550, the four slaves were intended to decorate the base of a complicated mausoleum for Pope Julius II in the Vatican. Eventually they were donated to Cosimo I di’Medici and later (1909) to the Accademia.
The Awakening Slave and The Young Slave ( 2 views)
The Bearded Slave and Atlas
It’s undeniable that it is precisely that they are “unfinished” that their impact is even more compelling. (And keep in mind that each is approximately 8-1/2 feet in height!)
♦ Saint Mathew
Originally Saint Matthew (almost 9 feet tall) was going to be part of a series of twelve apostles for columns of Florence Cathedral (around 1505). For unknown reasons it was abandoned until 1854 and eventually (1909) moved near the Slaves.
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♦ The Tribuna of David
“Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”
– Michelangelo
Also known as The Giant, David stands approximately 17 feet tall (5.5 meters) and weighs 6 tons! It took Michelangelo about three (3) years to carve and sculpt him (1501-1504) at the age of only 26! Wrap your head around that!
David, the future king of Israel, is portrayed “in similar form and pose to a triumphant hero of classical Greece…The statue’s perfect modeling, the calm and determined strength of the expression and the imposing size have made it one of the best known and most admired works of art in the world”.
Originally standing in front of the façade of Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria, he was immediately adopted as the “symbol of the civil freedom and virtue of republican Florence…”
“How can that be, lady, which all men learn by long experience? Shapes that seem alive, wrought in hard mountain marble, will survive their maker, whom the years to dust return.” – Michelangelo
In 1875 David was moved to the specially designed and constructed Tribuna in the Galleria. Although it was controversial at the time, the Tribuna is elegant in its simplicity and, beyond question, perfectly showcases Michelangelo’s masterpiece.
“Genius is eternal patience.”
– Michelangelo
Timeless. Triumphant. Glorious. Absolutely magnificent.
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How one perceives and responds to art is very personal. I can only say that, for myself, these works evoke an intense visceral response, a profound reverence. This private moment in silence…alone with David…no words.
I’ll let the photos and videos speak for themselves…
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In all honesty, no photos, not even my videos (click below) can truly capture David. You just need to see him for yourself…and I hope you do.
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• Videos:
• CLICK HERE For Links to Other Museum Visits You May Enjoy!
• All Photos are My Own ©
• Sources & Resources:
Accademia Gallery, The Official Guide, Published by Firenze Musei
Official Website: https://www.galleriaaccademiafirenze.beniculturali.it/
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