Michelangelo: The Making of David (Part 2)
6/8/20261 hr 4 min
Why was Michelangelo's David such a revolutionary work of art? And what happened when Michelangelo and Leonardo went head to head on a commission? Join Alastair and James in the second of four episodes charting the life and work of Michelangelo, who many regard as history's greatest artist. Artworks in this episode include: Michelangelo, David, 1501-04, Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence Attributed to Daniele da Volterra, Portrait of Michelangelo, c.1545, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York After Leonardo, Copy of The Battle of Anghiari, 17th century, Musée du Louvre, Paris Bastiano da Sangallo after Michelangelo, Copy of The Battle of Cascina, 1542, Royal Academy, London For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:04:34 A Block of Marble 00:12:17 Michelangelo Takes on the Challenge 00:16:44 Where to Place David 00:19:50 Moving the Giant 00:22:41 Analyzing David 00:33:22 Michelangelo's Character 00:40:40 Rivalry with Leonardo da Vinci 00:50:20 Pope Julius II and the Tomb Commission 00:55:55 The Great Escape from Rome
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJames Fox· Host0:00
[gentle music] Welcome to Stories of Art. I'm James Fox.
Alastair Sooke· Host0:04
And I'm Alastair Sook.
James Fox· Host0:05
A mighty giant, stark naked and white-skinned, stands still, biding his time, waiting for the moment to pounce. His muscles are tensed, his sling loaded, adrenaline coursing through his dilated veins. He glances towards his adversary, brow furrowed with determination. He is ready to strike. Now that, Alastair, is my very brief description of Michelangelo's enormous statue of David- Mm. -which he completed in fifteen oh four when he was just twenty-nine years old. It's probably, don't you think, the most famous sculpture- Yeah ... at least in Western art history?
Alastair Sooke· Host0:50
It's one of those works of art where it's actually just really hard to see it.
James Fox· Host0:55
Yeah.
Alastair Sooke· Host0:55
To look at it. It's so familiar.
James Fox· Host0:57
Mm.
Alastair Sooke· Host0:58
It's just there hardwired, you know, like your parents' faces or something- [laughs] -in, in your brain.
James Fox· Host1:03
Yes.
Alastair Sooke· Host1:03
I, I wondered whether-- I mean, there is this sort of, um ... Look, I've been toying with whether or not to say this. I, I, I need to confess something, James.
James Fox· Host1:13
You don't like it.
Alastair Sooke· Host1:14
No. No, no, no, no. We'll come on to-- I mean, I, I have some sort of things that I may raise- Yeah ... when we do discuss it, but I haven't actually seen it.
James Fox· Host1:22
Oh.
Alastair Sooke· Host1:23
So there is this- You haven't seen it? I-- Yeah. [laughs] Does that invalidate this entire podcast?
James Fox· Host1:28
Have you not been to Florence and all your- Should