Image · Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Renaissance · Sculpture
The Dying Slave
Michelangelo Buonarroti · 1513–1516
ArtistMichelangelo Buonarroti
Date1513–1516
TypeSculpture
MediumMarble
Dimensions227.7 cm (89.6 in) tall
LocationDenon Wing
— The Work
About this masterpiece
Michelangelo carved this languid male figure as part of the ill-fated tomb of Pope Julius II. The youthful nude appears to swoon — his right arm raised, head tilted, eyes closed — as though slipping from consciousness into sleep or death. The contrapposto pose and the loosely bound straps across his chest produce one of sculpture’s most poignant studies of the human body.
— Context
Historical significance
Together with its companion The Rebellious Slave, this work was given by Michelangelo to a French nobleman and entered the French royal collection in the 17th century. They are among the very few Michelangelo sculptures held outside Italy.
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