Statue of David, (sculpture).

Statue of David, (sculpture).

De Weldon, Felix George Weihs, 1907-2003, sculptor.

Buonarroti, Michelangelo, 1475-1564, painter. (copy after)

Fonderia Francesco B, founder.

Spitznagel Partners, architectural firm.

Statue of David, (sculpture).

David, (sculpture).

1971. Installed Oct. 13, 1973. Dedicated Oct. 20, 1973.

Sculpture: bronze; Base: marble or black granite.

Sculpture: approx. H. 18 ft.; Base: approx. 12 x 6 x 6 ft. (3 1/2 tons).

(Text of mayoral proclamation of Oct. 4, 1971 appears on the base) unsigned

Full-length replica of Michelangelo's "David," executed in marble in 1504. The figure is a nude male with curly hair who holds a slingshot over his proper left shoulder.

Religion -- Old Testament -- David & Goliath

Outdoor Sculpture -- South Dakota -- Sioux Falls

Administered by City of Sioux Falls, Parks Department, 600 East 7th Street, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57102

Located Fawick Park, 2nd Avenue between 10th & 11th Streets, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Gift of Thomas L. Fawick, a native of Sioux Falls. "David" was originally intended for Fawick's private collection, but it was too large for his indoor facility. The sculpture was cast in Italy and the base was inscribed in Sweden. Sources differ as to whether the base is marble or black granite. The architectural firm Spitznagel Partners built the foundation. Although the gift was presented in 1971, it was not installed until 1973, when an appropriate site was chosen. While most of the citizens of Sioux Falls embraced the sculpture, some objected to it on moral and religious grounds. The sculptor reportedly created a fig leaf for a more modest sculpture, in the event of overwhelming public outcry against its nudity. There was further controversy over the statue's costs and origins. Fawick and De Wheldon claimed that their "David" was a copy from the original sculpture in Accademia, Florence; that after negotiating for two years with the Italian government, the sculpture was created by covering the original with a rubber mold from which a cast was made using the lost wax method. The reported cost was $350,000.

This claim was challenged in the Feb. 1976 issue of the journal ARTnews. An investigation by ARTnews concluded that the "David" was actually cast from molds owned by Fonderia Francesco B. at a cost of $12,000. The article stated that the foundry purchased the plaster casts from the Instituto D'Arte in Florence. Both sides stood by their claims. IAS files include related articles from the Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, S.D.) Oct. 2, 1971, Oct. 4, 1971, Sept. 10, 1972, Oct. 13, 1973, and March 5, 1976; the Sioux Falls Subscriber News, Nov. 1, 1973; the Sioux Falls Tribune, Oct. 7, 1981; ARTnews, v. 95 no. 2 (Feb. 1976), and an excerpt from "An Illustrated History of the Arts in South Dakota," by Arthur Huseboe. IAS files also include text of the inscriptions.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, South Dakota survey, 1993.

Huseboe, Arthur R., "An Illustrated History of the Arts in South Dakota," Sioux Falls, S. D.: Augustana College, 1989, pg. 263-264.

ARTnews v. 95 no. 2 (February 1976): pg. 64-67.

ARTnews v. 95 no. 2 (February 1976): pg. 64.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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