Michelangelo's David is considered one of the world's greatest and most intricately sculpted pieces of art. Its acclaim, which only grows stronger over time, is proof of this. However, to maintain the pristine condition of such a complex form is itself an act of art, though, apparently not even remotely as pretty.
At least according to Accademia Gallery Director Cecilie Hollberg, who told The Guardian that cleaning the famed statue is akin to cleaning a "bathroom," as dust continuously appears seemingly from nowhere even after hours of effort.
"This is what it's like," she exclaimed. "Dust is everywhere."
Michelangelo's masterpiece "David" during conservation work at the Accademia Gallery in Florence, Italy.
The Endeavor of Cleaning Michelangelo's David
At the Accademia Gallery, one of Florence's most visited museums with a recorded 2 million visitors last year, its resident art restorer Eleonora Pucci is tasked to maneuver around the famed 16-foot-and-10-inch-tall David statue to administer a bi-monthly cleansing.
Pucci is equipped with a brush and portable vacuum feet above the ground on scaffolding, with a mission to closely inspect and clean every crevice and fold across David's marbled features of any dust that may be hiding.
The process itself needed immense focus, as the balancing act of being close enough to clean but not too close as to cause mishaps is required from Pucci, according to Hollberg.
Perhaps the most difficult part of this half-day-long task is picking up any dust and cobwebs that might have settled in between David's muscular slabs, which Pucci achieves using the variously sized brush attachments of her handy vacuum.
Of course, even the facial features of the enormous sculpture get this meticulous cleaning treatment.
As part of the overall process, Pucci also takes diagnostic pictures of the statue's different areas to account for any signs of time-based damages or deformation.
In regards to this, the museum's director said that David is in tip-top shape but constant dusting is still needed for this state to be maintained.
History of David, Michelangelo's Masterpiece
Depicting the rock and sling-equipped biblical hero with the same name, the David sculpture was made by the Renaissance master Michelangelo around 1501 and 1504.
It was originally commissioned by the Opera del Duomo Museum as a centerpiece for the Florence Cathedral's roofline.
That said, upon presenting the finished product, the statue was deemed too "flawless" for the previously agreed setting and it was then moved in front of the Palazzo della Signoria.
It stayed there until 1873 when it was relocated to what would eventually become the Accademia Gallery due to concerns regarding weather damage.
After eight years, the museum was instated and was essentially built around the David masterpiece, with a dome circling its features. The Accademia Gallery has since grown into the second most premiere collecting institution in Florence, Italy, trailing only after the Uffizi Galleries.
As per Hollberg, the continuous cavalcade of some 10,000 daily visitors necessitates the conservation focus given to the institution's masterpieces like David, which also include Michelangelo's Slaves and Giambologna's Rape of the Sabines.
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