Yes, David is Naked
When I travel, I often collect magnets from various places. Monet’s Giverny, La Foce Gardens, the Eiffel Tower - all reside on my refrigerator, a constant reminder of wonderful trips.
One of the magnets, which I brought home from an early trip to Florence, is of the David.
Years ago, I noticed my then 8-year-old grandson staring at it. “Nana”, he asked, “why do you have a naked man on your fridge?”. That was a great opportunity to begin a conversation about classical art, the Italian renaissance, a sculptor’s skill in recreating the human body, and the nude as an art form. My grandson was not buying any of it. “Well’, he countered, “I just think it’s inappropriate”. All I could do was laugh.
On a later trip I purchased a matching game for my even younger grandkids. Each card had a photo of a famous Tuscan landmark or piece of art. Included were, I think you can guess this, a photo of the David. Another card had a photo of Morgante the Dwarf, often known as the “Fat Man on the Turtle”, from the Boboli Gardens. Morgante is, of course, naked. This matching game has been a favorite of my grandkids for years. And yes, the two nudes get lots of giggles, but the kids have learned a lot about art and Tuscany in their search to be the first one to uncover “the naked guy”. All 4 grandkids have survived the nudity just fine.
My grandson’s opinion, as an 8-year-old, was understandable. But I expect a more sophisticated and open-minded attitude from adults. I am still scratching my head over the outrage of some parents in Florida over photos of the David used in a 6th grade art class. Male nudes have been present in classic sculpture since at least the time of the Greeks. Most people understand the artistic value and the role of important art pieces in education. And most understand the difference between art and pornography. But, a few parents in that school did not and wielded an inordinate amount of influence, leading to the principal resigning.
The much discussed and analyzed hand of David.
David during the fig leaf years (public domain photo)
Granted, Floridians are not the only ones to be a bit bothered by David’s nudity. Some long-ago residents of Florence also objected, and after the statue’s completion Michelangelo was asked to cover the genitals with leaves. Those were later removed, restoring the statue to Michelangelo’s original vision. It has remained thus ever since. A replica of the David in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London was covered in a fig leaf whenever Queen Victoria visited. Apparently, the Queen was outraged. One wonders if Albert was asked to sport a fig leaf when visiting the Queen’s chamber.
Still, I was saddened to see a principal lose her job over the inclusion of the biblical David in a class. But I was delighted when the city of Florence brought that school principal to Florence to see the statue in person. How great was that?
This reproduction stands in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, where the original statue was displayed before being moved to the Accademia Gallery.
I am happy to say that as my grandson has grown so has his appreciation for this magnificent work of art. When he visited me in Italy for the first time several years ago, along with his sister and their mother (my daughter), I took them all to Florence to the Academia Gallery where the David commands an entire room.
We walked around him, noting the unique size of his…. hands. We marveled at the muscles in his legs and his 6-pack abs. In the end both of my grandkids found that the David was so amazing that they hardly noticed he was naked!
David is, of course, not the only naked statue in Florence. There are many nudes, partial nudes, and exposed breasts in Italian sculpture. Many of the fountains in Italy are anchored by nudes, including the Fountain of Neptune in Florence (below).
Fountain of Neptune, Florence
And not all the nudes are male. There are some beautiful female nudes to be found. Here are a few of my favorites from the Accademia Gallery in Florence, the Neptune Fountain in Bologna, and a modern piece in the Museo del Bozzetti in Pietrasanta. I hope you find all of these sculptures as beautiful as I do.
