The marble used to create the famous statue of David, by Italian artist Michelangelo, was actually set to be used not once, but twice for sculptures by two other artists.
Michelangelo created his masterpiece between 1501 and 1504; however, the marble slab was first cut in 1458 for artist Agostino di Duccio, whose original intention was for it to be a statue of Hercules and was to be installed in a Florentine cathedral. Di Duccio abandoned his project and the marble set unused for ten years.
Next up was artist Antonio Rossellino but he also abandoned the piece claiming the marble was too difficult to work with. Eventually Michelangelo began working with the marble in 1501. It has been moved several times since then, but currently resides in the Galleria dell’Accademia in Italy.
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