03 — ARTWORK
David
- MEDIUM
- Bronze, height 184 cm
- TYPE
- Mythological
PALETTE
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- FILE
- 900 × 1570 px · JPEG
COMMENTARY
UNDERLINED TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE GLOSSARY.
The bronzeAn alloy of copper (usually about 90 per cent) and tin, often also containing small amounts of other metals such as lead or zinc. Since antiquity it has been the metal most commonly used in cast sculpture because of its strength, durability, and the fact that it is easily workable - both hot and cold - by a variety of processes. It is easier to cast than copper because it has a lower melting-point, and its great tensile strength makes possible the protrusion of unsupported parts - an advantage over marble sculpture. The colour of bronze is affected by the proportion of tin or other metals present, varying from silverish to a rich, coppery red, and its surface beauty can be enhanced when it acquires a patina. David was one of Mercié's most popular works. The sculptor introduced the plaster model of his life-size David to the SalonIn the French language of the 18th and 19th centuries it designated an actual exhibition space, as well as the academic art exhibitions staged in the Salon d'Apollon of the Louvre since 1667. From 1737, the exhibitions took place biennially and, after the French Revolution, annually in the Salon Carré of the Louvre in Paris. Towards the end of the 19th century the official Salon jury was dissolved in order to make way for a committee of state-approved artists, i.e. former Salon members, who created the highly influential Société des Artistes Français. of 1872, the first to be held since the Franco-Prussian War, where it was well received. The Biblical hero is depicted naked with the head of Goliath at his feet like <a onclick="return OpenOther('/html/d/donatell/1_early/david/2david1.html')" href="/html/d/donatell/1_early/david/2david1.html">Donatello's David.</a> The figure's turban, as well as his sword and the decoration around the plinthsquare or rectangular section forming part of the base of a pillar, column, or statue., reflect the Orientalist trend that was extremely popular in France at this time.
Numerous reproductions exist, most of which incorporate a loincloth that covers David's genitalia but not his buttocks. The lifesize original is now in the Musée d'Orsay.
CITE THIS RECORD — BIBTEX
@online{wga-r1ace7affb11c9a,
author = {Krén, Emil and Marx, Daniel},
title = {David by MERCIÉ, Antonin},
organization = {{Web Gallery of Art}},
date = {2026-09-09},
url = {https://beta.wga.hu/artists/merci-antonin-r9ef4cd96af0aa8/david-r1ace7affb11c9a},
urldate = {2026-09-09},
langid = {english}
}ACCESSED 2026-09-09. REPLACE THE AUTHOR FIELD WITH THE COMMENTARY AUTHOR WHERE ONE IS NAMED.
OTHER WORKS BY ANTONIN MERCIÉ
The archive catalogues no further works by this artist.
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