Michelangelo's David

Among the best-known and most popular sculptures in the history of art, David has a long and complicated history. This lecture will look at the commission of the David, its manufacture, the reasons why it looks as it does and the significance of its original location. It examines the figure of the prophet as represented by other artists, such as Donatello and Verrocchio and looks at the part played by David in Florentine politics as he was regarded as a divine protector of the city.