Which sculpture, completed in 1504 by Michelangelo, is renowned as a Renaissance masterwork depicting a standing biblical figure?

• A. Bone China
• B. Fayum Portraits
• C. Michelangelo's David
• D. Night Café

Answer: (C)

This item tests your ability to recognize a defining Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo that shows a standing biblical figure. The work completed in 1504 is David, acclaimed for its monumental presence and embodiment of Renaissance ideals of human beauty and potential. Carved from a single block of marble, David is posed in contrapposto, with weight on one leg and a relaxed, composed upper body that conveys readiness and inner resolve. The subject—David, the biblical hero who faces Goliath—also reflects Florence’s sense of civic virtue and strength during the period. This combination of technical mastery, idealized human form, and symbolic meaning makes it a quintessential Renaissance masterwork. The other options aren’t Michelangelo sculptures or Renaissance masterpieces of this kind: bone china is modern porcelain, Fayum portraits are ancient Egyptian, and Night Café is a painting by Van Gogh.