Michelangelo’s Louvre sculpture known as the “Dying Slave” is the Dying Slave.
The Dying Slave is a marble sculpture Michelangelo made between 1513 and 1516. It was planned for the monumental tomb of Pope Julius II, a project that Michelangelo repeatedly redesigned over several decades. The figure was intended to stand among allegorical captives in an earlier version of the tomb, but the slaves were ultimately excluded from the final monument.
The sculpture is about 215 centimetres tall and shows a nude male figure leaning into a languid, apparently collapsing pose. Despite its conventional title, the figure looks physically vigorous rather than visibly dying. Some areas remain less finished, with tool marks and portions of marble still attached, giving viewers insight into Michelangelo’s carving process.
The Dying Slave is often confused with the nearby Rebellious Slave, another Michelangelo figure originally associated with the same tomb project. David and Pietà are also famous Michelangelo sculptures, but they are different works and are not the Louvre sculpture identified by this nickname.