Accademia Gallery (Michelangelo's David)

A visit to the Accademia Gallery is like a study in the technique of Renaissance sculptors. In the main hall of the gallery are Michelangelo's famed Prisoners, also known as the Slaves, so-called for their seemingly “enslaved” appearance, trapped within the blocks of marble. Carved for the tomb of Pope Julius II (originally planned to be one of the most colossal tombs in history), Michelangelo had initially been commissioned to create 40 over-lifesize statues. He only managed to begin by carving a few of the forty, including two which can be now found in the Louvre museum in Paris, the Dying Slave and the Rebellious Slave. Seeing these unfinished “non-finito” sculptures gives us great insight into the unique techniques of the artist. Quite unusually, Michelangelo worked from the front of a block of marble to the back. Vasari likened this technique to the image of a figure lying in a bath of slowly emptying water, slowly revealing itself. Michelangelo's extremely advanced sense of the proportions of the human body is perfectly evident here, revealing a skill like no other artist in history.

The beauty of Michelangelo's unfinished sculptures has been appreciated by many; in particular since the 19th century, when even the French sculptor Auguste Rodin was so inspired by the rough, chisel-marked aspect of the sculptures that he frequently incorporated an unfinished quality into his own works. Michelangelo himself, however, a great perfectionist, perhaps would not have considered these sculptures finished or even fit for display. He often abandoned works that he felt could not bring about his ideal sculpture. In his writings, he has always expressed that his aim was to embody in the marble the ideal form, the true and perfect human body, like David.

The story of David was ever-popular in art throughout the 15th century as a symbol of the strength and truth of good over evil. David was a young shepherd boy who fought against the giant, Goliath, to save his people. David had no weapons or armour, and was armed only with a sling and some stones. Knocking Goliath to the ground with a stone to the head, David was able to take the giant's sword and cut off his head with it.

Michelangelo portrayed David in a unique way, moving away from the traditional post-battle, victorious scene with the head of the giant at his feet, as in Verocchio or Donatello's David. Instead, Michelangelo's David is pre-battle, perfectly poised, pensive and ready to fight, a “reservoir of energy,” as Michelangelo himself described.

Next to the hall holding David is the room known as the Salone dell' Ottocento, containing the collection of nineteenth century plaster models, chosen to illustrate the connection between the gallery and the Academy of Fine Arts next door. The models were used by budding artists to study proportions, practice drawing and use as references for their own sculptures.

Don't forget to take a peek at the often overlooked collection of rare and historical musical instruments, which includes the unique tenor viola and other stringed instruments by Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737), regarded as the finest stringed instruments ever created. A recent auction revealed how Stradivari's instruments are still very much valued, going for up to US$3.5 million.