Donatello's David is notable for being made of which material?

• A. Marble
• B. Wood
• C. Gold
• D. Bronze

Answer: (D)

Bronze is the material because Donatello cast David in bronze, using the lost-wax technique to create a life-size, freestanding statue. This choice matters because bronze captures fine detail and supports a dynamic, natural pose that the early Renaissance sought to revive from classical sculpture. It also marked a turning point: a large, hollow bronze nude in the Renaissance, something not common since antiquity. Marble, wood, and gold would not yield the same combination of durability, detail, and the ability to cast a pose like this; marble would require carving, wood would be prone to decay, and gold would be impractical for such a large sculpture.