The Michelangelo sculpture depicting the biblical king who defeated Goliath is David. Michelangelo carved the colossal marble statue between 1501 and 1504, during the High Renaissance.
The figure is shown before the fight rather than after it. David grips a sling over his shoulder and looks intensely toward the unseen Goliath, creating a sense of restrained energy. This differs from earlier Florentine sculptures by Donatello and Verrocchio, which typically show David after victory, often beside or above Goliath’s severed head.
The statue was originally intended for the roofline of Florence Cathedral, but its size and importance led city officials to place it in front of the Palazzo della Signoria in 1504. There it became a symbol of Florence’s independence and civic resistance. In 1873, the original moved indoors to Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia, while a replica was installed in the square.
Carved from Carrara marble, David stands about 5.17 meters tall and is among the most recognizable sculptures in Western art.