David

I try not to get too worked up over famous works of art.  Ever since I saw the Mona Lisa and thought, "That's it?" I try not to believe the hype.  Michelangelo's "David", however, delivers.

In life, I am one of those people who says, "Perfection?  That's boring!"  But when I saw the David, I knew that I was wrong: David is perfect, and he didn't bore me at all.  He looks alive, like his skin would be soft if I touched it and like if I did touch his face, his cloudy expression would smooth.  His feet were a little big for him, as if he was still growing, and so were his hands, which have veins that wrap up into his forearms.

 

Taking pictures of David is strictly verboten.  One man took pictures of people as they looked at the statue instead.  I thought about buying a post card of him, but then I realized that the well-lit pictures took away my favorite part of him - the shadows.  It's the shadows that show the muscles of his back banding around to his chest and abdomen, the indentation where swaying hip meets extended leg, where chin tucks in and becomes mouth.

Don't worry - I'm not harboring any Pygmalion-themed fantasies.  I just wasn't expecting the David, or any statue, to look so beautifully real.  He's too tall for me anyway...

Baci,
Maria