VERROCCHIO, Andrea del
(b. 1435, Firenze, d. 1488, Venezia)

The Young David (detail)

1473-75
Bronze
Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence

Verrocchio's David stands, calm and relaxed, over the massive head of Goliath. As a goldsmith and silversmith, Verrocchio used an assemblage technique, a method favoured in the 14th century. The silver Beheading of St John the Baptist contains many separately cast elements; the kneeling saint, his executioners and the soldiers. He also used the same process for his larger-scale statues, casting different parts of free-standing statues and reliefs separately. The David was cast in two sections: the figure of the hero and the severed head of Goliath; the figures were extensively chiselled after casting.




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