David by Michelangelo

Michelangelo sculpted this piece from Carrara marble between 1501 and 1504 on a commission in the Italian city-state of Florence (Firenze), starting when he was only 26 years old. Originally intended to be placed high on a cathedral facade, a committee of Florence artists (that included Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli) decided to place it in front of the Florence seat of government. The work has since come to represent the defense of civil liberties.