David (Bernini)

Galleria Borghese, Room II Michelangelo's David waits; Bernini's, carved in 1623, is already mid-throw, with the stone loaded in the sling and the whole body wound up to let it fly. Stand where David is aiming, roughly where Goliath would be, and the figure feels as if it is about to burst out of its space. The clenched, lip-biting face is said to be modeled on Bernini's own, and his self-portrait in the same gallery lets you judge the likeness for yourself.