"David was a courageous young shepherd who, thanks to his faith in God and his intelligence, managed to defeat the giant Goliath with a simple slingshot."
Dating: 1858
Material: marble
Location: Artgate Fondazione Cariplo (formerly Palazzo Melzi d'Eril in Milan)
Registration: INN.O FRACCA. 1858
Among the various works that Innocenzo Fraccaroli was involved in in the 1850s was David throwing the sling, which depicts the young shepherd protagonist of the biblical episode known for having defeated the fearsome giant Goliath who terrorized the people of Israel.
In his Milanese studio Fraccaroli tackles a theme widely represented by painters and sculptors of various eras - including Donatello, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Bernini - fascinated by the figure of this bold boy. The subject can also be interpreted in light of the historical context of Lombardy-Veneto, in an anti-Austrian perspective. The sculptor portrays the shepherd standing, with a proud gaze turned towards his adversary: in his left hand he holds the stones while, in his right, he holds the sling.
The work, exhibited in London in 1851 under the vaults of the majestic Crystal Palace - together with the marble of the wounded Achilles, considered Fraccaroli's absolute masterpiece - met with great success, giving rise to the creation of replicas in a smaller format.
