This September 8 marks the 500th anniversary of Michelangelo’s “David,” one of art-history’s greatest masterpieces. Crowds of visitors have been drawn to Florence to experience this magnificent sculpture over the past 500 years--and they continue to visit in record numbers. Why does a work of art created half a millennium ago possess such a timeless, universal appeal? What meaning does this 500-year-old sculpture hold for modern-day man? To answer these questions, consider the significance of Michelangelo’s “David” to the Renaissance Florentines who first revered it. During the 1000 years preceding the Renaissance, the West had been mired in the medieval...
