ATLANTA, GEORGIA.- In November 2003, one of the most important and influential masterpieces of the Renaissance left Italy for a presentation at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Andrea del Verrocchio’s bronze masterpiece, David, is currently undergoing restoration through a collaboration between the National Museum of the Bargello in Florence, Italy and the High Museum, and will travel to Atlanta this fall for an exhibition that will present discoveries made during the first in-depth technical examination and cleaning of the work since its creation in the mid-15th century. Verrocchio’s David Restored: A Renaissance Bronze from the National Museum of the Bargello, Florence is on view at the High Museum of Art though February 8, 2004 and then travel to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The exhibition is generously supported by Worldspan, L.P. The restoration has revealed vibrant gilding on David’s hair and clothing, as well as vivid new anatomical details of the renowned masterwork. 

Art historical research and analysis also indicate that Verrocchio originally intended the slain head of Goliath to be situated beside the figure next to David’s right foot, rather than between the figure’s feet as it has appeared for 527 years. Scholars believe that the sculpture may still have been in progress when the Medici family sold it to the Florentine city government in 1476, at which point Verrocchio was asked to install the David on a small pedestal to fit next to a doorway inside the Palazzo Vecchio, the historic seat of city government. This request from the sculpture’s new owner required Verrocchio to alter the original cast, or recast the head entirely, removing locks of Goliath’s hair to make the head narrower so that it could be inserted between the figure’s feet. This unexpected adaptation to Goliath’s head is evidenced by the artist’s fingerprint—captured in the wax cast and in turn, preserved in the cast bronze—which is now clearly visible as a result of the restoration. In Atlanta, the David will be displayed with Goliath’s head to the right of the figure for the first time outside of Florence, giving scholars and audiences an opportunity to evaluate this major work in a new context—as the first sculptural interpretation of David without the slain head anchoring the sculpture at its base. Liberated from the head, Verrocchio’s David becomes one of the first distinctly narrative works in the history of art. 

The High’s exhibition in Atlanta will be the first opportunity in North America for visitors and scholars to see Verrocchio’s David according to the artist’s original intention, with the head of Goliath to the right and the sculpture installed on a wider base. Upon returning to Florence, the sculpture will be presented again as it has been for 527 years, atop a narrow column with the head resting between David’s feet. Advancing an enduring theory and adding further significance to this timely restoration and reconsideration of the famed masterpiece, recent scholarly analysis asserts that Verrocchio’s David is in fact a youthful portrait of his most famous apprentice, Leonardo da Vinci. This data will be included along with scholarly analyses of the restoration in an illustrated catalogue that will accompany the exhibition. “We are thrilled to partner with the Bargello to return this stunning work to its original brilliance and composition,” said Michael E. Shapiro, the Nancy and Holcombe T. Green, Jr. Director of the High Museum. “The High is particularly honored to bring this great work to Atlanta, and we look forward to sharing it with our visitors. Like our recent partnerships with the Musée d’Orsay and the Munch-Museet in Oslo, this project reflects our ongoing commitment to international collaborations that enable us to bring the world’s great art treasures to the United States.” 

Beatrice Paolozzi Strozzi, director of the Bargello, said of the partnership, “We are very pleased to collaborate with the High Museum to restore one of our most beloved works of art. It is tremendously exciting to find the right opportunity for this kind of partnership and we are delighted that our newly-restored David will be seen anew by scholars, and enjoyed by broad audiences in America.” An accomplished sculptor, painter, draftsman and goldsmith, Andrea del Verrocchio was the leading sculptor in Florence in the second half of the 15th century. His famed sculpture of David is exemplary of the new ground forged in three-dimensional art by the artists of the Renaissance. Most likely commissioned by Piero di Cosimo de’ Medici (1416-69), father of Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449-92), who later sold it to the city government, the nearly four-foot-tall (47-¼”) and over 300-pound bronze masterwork is believed to have been created by Verrocchio some time between 1465 and 1470. Together with Donatello’s celebrated bronze of the same subject—also commissioned for the Medici (c. 1446-60) and housed at the Bargello—and Michelangelo’s monumental marble David that followed in the early 1500s, Verrocchio’s masterpiece remains among the most important sculptural interpretations of the Biblical figure. David’s pose reflects Verrocchio’s profound knowledge of antique sculpture. 

His youthful and lean, yet muscular figure; direct, satisfied, gaze; pleasant smile; and the fact that he is clothed in military-inspired garb make the sculpture unique among other interpretations. “David is a youthful figure created by a relatively young Verrocchio, and it marks the artist’s first masterpiece in bronze,” said Gary Radke, professor of fine arts at Syracuse University and guest curator of the exhibition at the High. “From subtle changes to major discoveries, this collaborative restoration and upcoming exhibition will give the world an opportunity to take a fresh look at one of the most important works in art history. The new ground broken with the David, as revealed through the restoration, will give Verrocchio the acknowledgement he is due as one of the pivotal figures of the Renaissance.” 

Verrocchio’s David has traveled only once before to the United States, in 1939-1940 as part of an exhibition of Italian art at the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco that was also presented by the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Study and Restoration Reveal Displaced Head, Blonde Hair and New Anatomical Details The ongoing restoration, being conducted at the Bargello by conservator Ludovica Nicolai under the supervision of the national restoration laboratories of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, has revealed the sculpture’s original bronze colored surface as well as a long-concealed layer of fine gilding covering the figure’s hair and parts of his garment and boots. New historical research strongly suggests that Verrocchio originally intended to place the head of Goliath to the figure’s right rather than between David’s feet, as it has been seen since the Medici family sold it to the Florentine city government in 1476. The repositioning of the head makes visible the figure’s fluid stance and sense of movement, significantly altering the overall composition and interpretation of the David and making it an even more important milestone in the history of art. The former composition, with the head crammed between David’s feet, anchors the figure and draws the viewer’s focus downward, making the work appear static and pyramidal in the tradition of Donatello’s David and all preceding interpretations in marble and bronze. 

Restored to its original composition, Verrocchio’s David becomes the first sculptural interpretation with Goliath’s head to the figure’s side, making it a distinctly narrative work—one of the first in the history of art—illustrating the transformative moment when David moves confidently beyond this act into the future, towards his destiny as warrior and King of Israel. When the sculpture was relocated to the Palazzo Vecchio in 1476, it was designated for a tight space next to the entrance to the Sala dei Gigli. The sculpture as conceived by Verrocchio would not have worked well in the space, and as a result the head of Goliath was inserted to a more traditional position between the figure’s feet, and the sculpture was moved from its original base onto a columnar pedestal. The acquisition of Verrocchio’s David heralded the beginning of major renovations in the Palazzo Vecchio. The Sala was being restructured at the time by Giuliano da Maiano and decorated with frescoes by Ghirlandaio and new marble doorways by Benedetto da Maiano. The removal of layers of non-original patinations has exposed pronounced veins in David’s young, muscular arms, giving the figure a greater sense of strength and power—qualities later amplified to great effect in Michelangelo’s David.  

The restorers have also discovered that the blade of David’s sword, a 10-inch straight-edged blade, is not original. Scholars believe that the figure may have originally wielded a curved, saber-like blade. A groundbreaking new laser technology has been used to remove years of dirt and black varnish that hid the fine gilding underneath. The equipment, a neodymium YAG laser coaxial with a helium neon laser, modeled on the one used in laser surgery, is capable of penetrating precisely to the level of the original gold leaf without loosening a single flake of gold. The restoration has also revealed that the original gold leaf was applied using glue–rather than fused with mercury–a significant discovery confirming that the sculpture was originally intended for indoor display. The restoration will be completed in the fall, just prior to the exhibition in Atlanta. 

Verrocchio and Leonardo In addition to documenting and interpreting the restoration process, the exhibition Verrocchio’s David Restored will argue that Verrocchio’s David is in fact a portrait by the artist of his most famous pupil, Leonardo. Leonardo was an apprentice in Verrocchio’s studio, and it was typical during the period for artists to use their assistants as models. A recent study published by David Alan Brown, curator of Italian painting at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and one of the foremost scholars on Leonardo da Vinci, makes this argument based upon comparison with what is believed to be a portrait of Leonardo in his old age (Windsor Castle, inv. N. 12558). This early 16th century work by one of Leonardo’s followers bears a striking resemblance to the face of Verrocchio’s David. (David Alan Brown, Leonardo apprendista, XXXIX Lettura Vinciana, 17 aprile 1999, Florence: Giunti Editoriale, 2000). An essay by Brown will be included in the High’s exhibition and publication. Andrea del Verrocchio Andrea del Verrocchio’s stylistic innovations in every genre of statuary make him one of the key influences on High Renaissance sculpture. A skilled and versatile practitioner with a highly successful workshop, Verrocchio taught many of the Renaissance’s finest artists, including Leonardo and Botticelli. Verrocchio was born in Florence sometime between 1434 and 1437, and trained as a goldsmith under Antonio Dei and Francesco Verrocchio, whose name he later took.  

He also may have trained with the marble sculptor Antonio Rossellino. Verrocchio strove for technical perfection and realistic representation of the human form. He demonstrated a profound awareness of ancient Roman art – this influence is seen most vividly in the equestrian monument of Bartolomeo Colleoni (1479-88) in the Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo in Venice, where Verrocchio died in 1488. Organizer Verrocchio’s David Restored: A Renaissance Bronze from the National Museum of the Bargello, Florence is organized by the High Museum of Art in collaboration with the National Museum of the Bargello in Florence. This exhibition is generously supported by Worldspan, L.P. Support for conservation is provided by Progetto Città and Steinhauslin Bank Catalogue An illustrated catalogue with essays by an international team of scholars will accompany Verrocchio’s David Restored: A Renaissance Bronze from the National Museum of the Bargello, Florence. Support for the catalogue is provided by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. 

The catalogue will be available in the High’s gift shop this fall. Tour Schedule The High Museum of Art, Atlanta, through February 8, 2004 National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., February 13, 2004 - March 21, 2004 Symposium On Saturday, January 24, 2004, the High Museum will host a symposium, David in Renaissance Florence: Rossellino, Verrocchio, and Michelangelo, focusing on discoveries made during the simultaneous scholarly and technical re-examination of Verrocchio’s David, The David of the Casa Martelli (early 1460s) by Bernardo Rossellino and Michelangelo’s masterpiece in marble (1501-04). Invited presenters include Curator Gary Radke; Beatrice Paolozzi Strozzi, Director of the Bargello; Restorer Ludovica Nicolai; Andrew Butterfield, author of The Sculptures of Andrea del Verrocchio, the most complete monograph on Verrocchio’s sculpture; John Paoletti, Professor at Wesleyan University; and Franca Falletti, Director of the Galleria dell’Accademia. The symposium will conclude with remarks by Italian officials who are responsible for the oversight of sculptural restoration in Florence. Invited guests include Antonio Paolucci, Superintendent of the Polo Museale di Firenze, and Cristina Accidini, Director of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. The symposium will be held on January 24, 2004 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at UPS Corporate Headquarters in Atlanta (55 Glenlake Parkway, NE), where simultaneous translation services will be provided. Shuttle service to and from the museum will be provided. For more information or to register, the public can call: 404-733-4506.  

The National Museum of the Bargello The National Museum of the Bargello in Florence, Italy was founded in the mid-19th century, and is home to some of the finest examples of sculpture and decorative arts from the Italian Renaissance. The museum is housed in one of the oldest and most historically significant buildings in Florence. The building’s unique and interesting history began in 1255 when it served as the headquarters of the Capitano del Popolo and later the Podestà. In the 16th century it became the residence of the head of police spies, called the Bargello. The building has been witness to sieges, executions and fires , giving it unique historical and civic importance. Worldspan, L.P. Worldspan is a leader in travel technology resources for travel suppliers, travel agencies, e-commerce sites and corporations worldwide. Utilizing fast, flexible and efficient networks and computing technologies, Worldspan provides comprehensive electronic data services linking approximately 800 travel suppliers around the world to a global customer base. The company offers industry-leading Fares and Pricing technology such as Worldspan e-PricingSM, hosting solutions, and customized travel products, including Worldspan Travel EnginuitySM. Worldspan enables travel suppliers, distributors and corporations to reduce costs and increase productivity with best-in-class technology like Worldspan Go!® and Worldspan Trip Manager®. Worldspan is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Additional information is available at www.worldspan.com.  

High Museum of Art The High Museum of Art, founded in 1905 as the Atlanta Art Association, is the leading art museum in the Southeastern United States. The Museum has two locations: the main facility is the critically acclaimed 1983 building designed by Richard Meier and situated in the heart of midtown Atlanta’s arts and business district. The High’s annex, the High Museum of Art Folk Art and Photography Galleries, is located in downtown Atlanta. The High Museum of Art has an extensive collection of 19th and 20th century American art; acclaimed collections of European and decorative art; and burgeoning collections of photography and modern and contemporary art. Due to the unprecedented growth the High has experienced during the past decade in exhibitions, community programming, and collection-building, the Museum has initiated a building expansion program as part of the overall upgrade of the Woodruff Arts Center. Designed by Renzo Piano, the new buildings are scheduled to open in 2005.