David, Pietro Magni, 1851
marble (rock), h c.182cm More details
David is about to sling a stone at the giant Goliath. The sculpture is a political statement, for the biblical figure of David symbolizes the Italian general and patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi, who freed the city of Milan from the might of the Habsburg Empire (‘Goliath’). The innovative, realistic style of this David won Pietro Magni the prestigious Canonica prize. He proudly recorded this on the tree trunk.
