DAVID LEFT EYE

Plaster cast of Michelangelo’s David left eye.
Handcrafted in Florence by Galleria Romanelli, a sculpture studio that has been active for almost two centuries.
The original statue is now housed in the Galleria dell’Accademia.

It was 1501 when Michelangelo began work on the huge block of marble, commissioned by the Arte della Lana and the Opera del Duomo of Florence. Two artists, Agostino di Duccio and Rossellino, had already sketched out statues on it before giving up because of the difficult quality of the marble. However, the obstacle it incurred did not prevent the young Michelangelo from creating one of the most sensational sculptures in the history of art: the statue of David. Immediately recognised as a masterpiece, the authorities set up a commission of experts – including Leonardo, Botticelli and Perugino – to decide on its new location, which was finally chosen at the entrance to Palazzo Vecchio. Facing the centre of urban power, and in the very heart of Florence, the figure of the young biblical hero with the resolute gaze became the symbol of the city itself.