Colossal silver Statue of David unveiled in Washington is heaviest sculpture in the world
Positioned in front of a stained-glass window, the two-storey sculpture poses in a familiar stance, and shines in the light of the sun.
Dominating the smaller artworks that are displayed across the room, this eye-catching silver Statue of David was unveiled on 12 June by the Treasure Investments Corporation (USA), in Battleground, Washington, USA at their appropriately-named Museo Michelangelo.
Spanning 16.96 ft by 6.5 ft (5.17 m by 1.98 m), and weighing a tremendous 2,899 lbs (1,315 kg), the piece was verified as the largest and heaviest silver sculpture on Earth – and was born from the same mould that once covered Michelangelo’s iconic work.
The Treasure Investments Corporation is a fine art company that creates, casts, and distributes high-end, limited-edition sculptures in bronze, silver, and gold.
And they took on the challenge to recreate Michelangelo’s famous piece in silver, as a celebration of the arts throughout different styles and centuries.
To replicate the statue in the exact same dimensions as Michelangelo’s 1504 piece, the team used a mould of the David that was commissioned in 1928 by the Pope as a form of preservation insurance.
“Pulling a negative from a positive was the only way to protect the integrity of the work if the unthinkable happened,” said Mark Russo, CEO of Treasure Investments Corporation, to The Chronicle.
The Marinelli family in Italy created the moulds, and decades later they granted the company a license to use them for their silver sculpture.
Nevertheless, it still took four years for the team to create the gleaming artwork – though notably, that was the same amount of time it took Michelangelo!
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Finally, the TIC team was able to unveil the work at an intimate gathering at the museum on 12 June, where they were accompanied by a live orchestra, dozens of art-lovers, and Guinness World Records Adjudicator Amelis Escalante.
Amelis reviewed the materials and confirmed the information with the organizers, before announcing that they had officially taken the titles in front of the excited crowd.
The veil was then removed from the top of the sculpture, and the audience gasped and applauded as the David was revealed in all its splendour.
“It was honestly breathtaking to be surrounded by so many special items in their extensive collection,” said Amelis. “As a huge fan of one of the greatest sculptors in the world, it was the honor of my life to adjudicate this event.
“The unveiling of ‘Silver’ David was truly mesmerizing, so much love was put into this feat and it shows.”
And the event’s organizers were equally thrilled with how everything turned out – saying: “To have Guinness World Records here is truly impactful for my inner child who had always dreamed of being in the GWR book.”
“This is truly AMAZING!” they continued.
So congratulations to these gold-tier silversmiths – Treasure Investments Corporation, you are now Officially Amazing!