UNVEILED: THE WORLD’S FIRST LIFE-SIZE DAVID BY MICHELANGELO IN PURE SILVER
The official unveiling of one of the most ambitious art projects of the modern era took place at the Foundry Michelangelo headquarters in Battle Ground, Washington (USA): the creation of the world’s first and only life-size David by Michelangelo, cast entirely in pure silver.
This extraordinary milestone was made possible by the master craftsmanship of the Fonderia Artistica Ferdinando Marinelli in Florence. The creation is based on the historic original plaster casts, created by the Marinelli family under the authorization of the Vatican prior to World War II to preserve this priceless artistic heritage against the risks of the conflict.
Working from these historic molds, our foundry’s master artisans created the original waxes, which were meticulously examined and certified as perfectly compliant with Michelangelo’s original work by the Fondazione Casa Buonarroti. The project, led by Mark Russo, founder of Treasure Investments Corporation, obtained the exclusive authorization from the Foundation, which officially sealed the agreement with its coat of arms and the Lily of Florence.
Standing over 17 feet tall, this imposing sculpture represents an unprecedented technical challenge, with an estimated weight of approximately 100,000 troy ounces of pure silver. The collaboration between historic Florentine tradition and the innovative vision of Foundry Michelangelo brings to the market, for the first time, the largest silver sculpture ever cast—destined to become one of the most valuable works of art in history.