5David was carved from a discarded block of marble

Called the “Giant”, the marble slab had been quarried and then abandoned for over 40 years before Michelangelo claimed it. The stone had deteriorated and grown rough from the elements and already had more than one chisel mark in its surface.

Still, Michelangelo was able to create a nearly 17-foot tall statue of David, deemed structurally perfect by the world’s best artists and sculptures.