He Michelangelo’s David It is one of the best-known works of art in the history of humanity. Made in white marble, measures 5’17 m. tall and weighs more than 5,500 kilos. She was sculpted by Buonarroti between the years 1501 and 1504. She was commissioned by the Opera del Duomo of the Florence Cathedral. It represents David when, according to the biblical texts, he faced Goliath. Legends have been woven around this work, like the one we told you in about his nose, and mysteries have been investigated. Among the latter is that of secret weapon that hides the hand of Michelangelo’s David.
The secret weapon that hides the hand of Michelangelo’s David
If we look the sculpture of David we will realize that is not perfectly proportioned. The torso is proportionally larger than the legs and the right hand and the head are bigger than they should. Much has been said about this disproportion and art experts do not agree. The most widespread thesis is that, from the place where it should be displayed in the first place – one of the buttresses of the cathedral – these were the proportions so that it could be seen correctly.
If you observe this huge handyou will see that hide something in it. It is believed that this object could be a weapon. It is a cylindrical fragment and according to Michelangelo experts, Sergio Risaliti and Francesco Vossilla, could be part of a FUSTÍBALO, also known as honda de fuste. It would make sense, since the whip attached a wooden stick to a slingand it is normal for shepherds to use a staff to help them in their work.
The whip is a weapon that was used by some of the infantry of the Roman army. With it it was achieved send, much further and with more force than with the traditional sling, stones used as projectiles.
The Bible says that David took 5 stones, his staff and his sling to face Goliath. in the sculpture we see the sling that the left hand holds on the shoulder and a kind of strap across your back, like a harness, up to the right hand. According to Risalti, what he has in that hand It is the handle of a cane that was part of a whip.
It is believed that Michelangelo did not put it in his hand since it was going to be exhibited in a place that would make it impossible to see the cane. Finally it was exhibited in the Piazza della Signoria, but there was no interest in placing it at that time, since the David became a symbol of the power of the Republic of Florence and no one wanted to see him with the attributes of a shepherd.
If you want to know more about the life and work of Michelangelo, we recommend the book Michelangelo. Complete Work, a true gem for collectors and art enthusiasts with full-color images of his works.
If you liked this article about the secret weapon in David’s hand and want to know more about Michelangelo, you may want to read the post: The most curious thing about Michelangelo.
Images: Jörg Bittner Unna,