Happy Birthday, David

Five hundred years ago today, 23-year-old sculptor Michelangelo unveiled his masterpiece, David, in Florence, Italy. The BBC is one of many news organizations reporting on the celebrations. The first time I walked into the museum hall where David stands, I had just finished Irving Stone’s historical novel “The Agony and the Ecstasy,” which I read dutifully to ensure I would appreciate the significance of my visit. I looked up at the statue but was immediately distracted by a British tour guide in a black dress suit gesturing toward David like a game show hostess showing off a new car. Her voice dripping with pride and urgency, her arms flapping, she proclaimed to the onlookers, “I now present to you all, Michelangelo’s David.” Ten years later, I can’t think of the statue without hearing her words. I wasn’t even on her dumb tour.

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