The David of the Casa Martelli

Bernardo Rossellino or Antonio Rossellino

National Gallery of Art

A clean-shaven, young man, David, stands with his feet to either side of a severed head in this free-standing marble sculpture. In this view, David’s body angles to our left but he turns his oval face to us as he looks into the distance with wide eyes. He has a straight nose, closed lips, and a round chin. Short hair curls on his forehead and to the nape of his neck. The strap of a satchel is slung over one shoulder and across his torso over a thigh-length toga. He stands with his weight on his right foot, to our left, and the other knee bent so the foot rests at an angle along the jawline of the severed head. David holds the strap of a long slingshot down by his right side, to our left, so the pocket end of the slingshot rests on the ground at that foot. The other hand is braced, palm out, on the slightly bent thigh. The severed head is larger in scale than David’s head, and it lies on one ear. The head has a beard, curly hair, and the eyes are closed. A column of marble behind the pair help support the stone’s weight. The surface of the marble has deepened to parchment white in some areas and is a darker tan on David’s face. The sculpture has an oval base carved from the same stone, and it rests on a pedestal against a pale pink stone wall.