Public collection via the Cleveland Museum of Art
AT-00010803About the Artwork
A triumphant David, clad only in his helmet, stands next to the body of his opponent, the Philistine giant Goliath. David holds the sling that incapacitated the giant, allowing him to seize Goliath's sword and sever his head. On the right, a figure, possibly David's friend Jonathan, holds Goliath's body, while his severed head rests at David's feet. As his pseudonym may indicate, Moderno operated at the forefront of the classical revival in the early 1500s. David's body especially owes much to the classical tradition, with heroic frontal nudity that recalls ancient sculptures of ideal youths. The distinct lack of ornament, and the bold use of empty space characterize Moderno's style, where, instead of simply recreating classical prototypes, he reinterpreted and shifted them to produce dramatic compositions.
Provenance
Dr. and Mrs. Sherman E. Lee (Cleveland Heights, Ohio), by gift to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1992.
Exhibition history
Signs of Affection: Gifts Honoring the Museum's 75th Anniversary. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 27, 1992-January 3, 1993).
Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.
Quick Overview
- Artist
- Moderno (Italian, 1467–1528)
- Date
- late 1400s - early 1500s
- Medium
- bronze
- Dimensions
- Overall: 7 x 5.8 cm (2 3/4 x 2 5/16 in.)
- Type
- Sculpture
- Classification
- Sculpture
- Department
- European Painting and Sculpture
- Credit line
- Seventy-fifth anniversary gift of Dr. and Mrs. Sherman E. Lee
- Accession no.
- 1992.131
More by Moderno in museum collections
Open-access museum record · AT-00010803
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