The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Novel of Michelangelo

Michelangelo’s David is one of his most famous works. In The Agony and the Ecstasy, the statue is imbued with multifaceted symbolism, signifying different things to different people. For Michelangelo, the statue is a symbol of his ambition and his nationalism. Having enjoyed success as a sculptor in Rome and under Lorenzo de’ Medici, he seeks the approval of his fellow Florentines. He wants to elevate the city of Florence through his work, and the David is a symbol of how he hopes to position himself as the city’s foremost artist. By winning the competition for the Duccio marble, he will effectively prove himself superior to his fellow artists. Much in the way that Brunelleschi and Ghiberti shaped the identity of Florence through their competitions for the baptistry doors and the dome of the cathedral, he hopes to enter himself into the history of the city by creating a statue that represents the Florentine people. His willingness to rush home from Rome shows the importance of this opportunity to Michelangelo. He works in an exhaustive manner, never able to do less than his very best. His rush to return to Florence to win the competition is a symbol of his desire to return triumphantly to his hometown and announce himself as Florence’s foremost artist.