In 1497 at the age of 21, Michelangelo produced "Bacchus," his first major work of sculpture. This statue of the inebriated Roman god of wine was commissioned by Jacopo Galli, a Roman banker. The work depicts drunken Bacchus, staggering, bloated and rolling his eyes. He is holding a chalice in his right hand and in his left are a lion skin and a bunch of grapes. Standing behind Bacchus is a faun who is eating the grapes from his hand.
Michelangelo created "The Pieta" between 1498 and 1499. Together with "Bacchus," this sculpture helped to establish the young Michelangelo's reputation as a skilled artist. The statue portraying the Madonna seated with the dead body of Christ in her arms was commissioned for the funeral monument of Cardinal Jean de Billheres. Since the 18th century the statue has been housed in Vatican City at Saint Peter's Basilica.
The 17-foot-high nude sculpture "David" was created by Michelangelo between 1501 and 1504. Michelangelo's representation was considered to a departure from previous works of the Biblical hero by Donatello and Verrocchio, who had both depicted a victorious David with the slain head of Goliath. In contrast, Michelangelo portrays a tense and focused David before his battle with the much larger foe. Although originally commissioned for the Cathedral in Florence, upon completion David was instead placed in the main town square as a representation of the political ideals of the community -- wrath and strength.
The statue of a seated Moses with horns on his head was created by Michelangelo between 1513 and 1515, based on the medieval depiction of the Biblical figure. The sculpture was originally commissioned as one of six figures to adorn the tomb of Pope Julius II and was to sit on the second tier of a three-level structure. With this vision, Michelangelo created Moses with the intention that it be viewed from below, rather than at eye level. The immense project was eventually scaled back due to funding issues and Moses was positioned as the central figure on the tomb's ground level.
