David by Donatello is the Italian Renaissance sculpture depicting the biblical hero David with Goliath’s sword.
Created in the 15th century, Donatello’s bronze David is generally dated to the 1440s or 1450s. It shows the youthful hero standing over the severed head of Goliath, wearing a hat and boots. The figure holds Goliath’s sword, while a laurel wreath appears on the hat.
The work is famous because it is often described as the first known free-standing nude male sculpture made since antiquity. Its relaxed contrapposto stance and sensual presentation differ sharply from the later, more muscular marble David by Michelangelo.
The statue’s original patronage and exact date remain debated by scholars. It is now housed in Florence’s Bargello Museum, where it can be compared with other works by Donatello.