There’s something eternally fascinating about the art of sculpture, more so when it depicts the human form. Michelangelo, for example, lived and created more than 500 years ago, yet we still marvel at the level of mastery and beauty that he was able to accomplish.
Recently, Twitter (X) user James Lucas shared some interesting details in sculptures that people sometimes might overlook. For example, did you know that Michelangelo’s David has heart-shaped eyes? Scroll down and find more fascinating details about the most famous sculptures in art history!
Bored Panda reached out to the author of this thread, James Lucas. He kindly agreed to tell us more about where he got the inspiration and knowledge about these interesting facts. Read our short conversation with him below!
More info: Twitter (X) | Substack
#1 Water Flowing Over Toes
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#2 The Handkerchief Detail Of The Duc De Montausier’s Marble Statue
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#3 Stunning Detail Of “Ugolino And His Sons” By Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
James Lucas runs a Twitter (X) account and Substack dedicated to great works of art and their beauty. That doesn’t mean sculpture exclusively; he also features architecture, paintings, photography, and an occasional goofy accidental Renaissance meme.
This particular thread, James tells us, was inspired by Giovanni Battista Lombardi’s Nymph statue. “The level of detail is simply mind-boggling, and it made me reflect on the other surreal details in many sculptures I admire,” he told Bored Panda in an email.
#4 Michelangelo’s David Has Heart-Shaped Pupils
Sculptures often have a slit in the pupils, adding depth or symbolizing the reflection of light. However, in David’s case, his eyes possess distinctly heart-shaped pupils.
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#5 This Intricate Net Was Carved From A Single Block Of Marble By Francesco Queirolo. It Took Him 7 Years
No apprentice would touch the sculpture for fear of the delicate net crumbling in their hands.
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#6 The Mind-Boggling Detail Of Michelangelo’s Moses
There is a tiny contracted muscle in the forearm, which only contracts when the little finger is raised. Moses is lifting the pinky, therefore that tiny muscle is contracted.
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
The sculptures are quite captivating in pictures, but seeing them in real life is even more riveting. I remember thinking “It’s insane that an actual person did this” when looking at Ancient Roman and Greek sculptures at The Louvre and The MET.
“My father is a sculptor, so I’ve had the pleasure of seeing many of these remarkable works in person, especially in Italy,” James told us. But there is one he’s not yet seen and would like to very much. “I would love to see the Veiled Virgin by Giovanni Strazza in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada,” he says.
#7 Bernini Turned Stone Into Flesh
The legendary Italian sculptor was only 23 years old when he completed “The Abduction of Proserpina”.
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#8 In Canova’s Timeless Masterpiece, The Wings Of Cupid Are So Delicately Thin That When Sunlight Touches Them They Shimmer With A Gentle Peach Glow
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#9 Marble Turned Into Lace
Giuliano Finelli’s bust of Maria Duglioli Barberini (1626)
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
James’ account and the newly launched Substack are all about the beauty of art and beyond. His philosophy is reflected by the last two lines of the John Keats poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn” in the bio: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.” If you want another dose of beauty, be sure to check out his Twitter (X) account and his articles on Substack.
#10 The Marble Veil In Giuseppe Sanmartino’s Masterpiece Is So Astonishingly Lifelike That The Artist Was Accused Of Using Alchemy To Turn Fabric Into Stone
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#11 This Statue By Marco D’agrate Depicts Saint Bartholomew, An Early Christian Martyr Who Was Skinned Alive
If you look closely, you’ll notice that’s not a robe that he’s holding. It’s actually his dissected skin.
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#12 The Fall Of The Rebel Angels, A 168 Cm (5″6′) Statue With More Than Sixty Figures Carved From A Single Block Of Marble By Agostino Fasolato
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
Sculpture as an art form dates back to 32,000 years B.C. Back then, of course, small animal and human figures carved in bone, ivory, or stone counted as sculptures. Today, we associate white marble sculptures with Ancient Roman, Greek, and Renaissance art, but some of the statues in this list are even from the 19th century.
#13 Chauncey Bradley Ives Turned Stone Into Wet Silk In “Undine Rising From The Waters” (1880)
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#14 This Is Not A Cotton Yarn. This Is A Mind-Blowing Marble Sculpture By The Greek Artist Argiris Rallias
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#15 Over 100 Years Before Medical Science Described The Circulatory System, Michelangelo Perfectly Sculpted The Jugular Vein In His Statue Of David
This trait is anatomically accurate: the biblical hero is in a state of excitement, as he prepares to face Goliath.
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
Michelangelo’s David is often cited as the most recognizable masterpiece of the Renaissance. It’s the most loved and reproduced piece of artwork from Florence; there are 30 full-size replicas of David all over the world. The heart-shaped eyes theory has several explanations.
#16 Michelangelo’s David Right Hand
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#17 This Is Not A Real Mattress. This Is A Marble Mattress Sculpted By Gian Lorenzo Bernini For The “Sleeping Hermaphroditus”
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#18 The “Veiled Truth” By Antonio Corradini
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
Some claim they’re not so much heart-shaped as simply reflecting the point where the sun hits the eyes. The technical term is specular highlight. As a heart didn’t become a symbol of love until the 1600s, Michelangelo purposefully carving David’s pupils into the shapes of hearts wouldn’t have made much sense.
#19 Amazing Drapery Detail On “The West Wind” By American 19th-Century Sculptor Thomas Ridgeway Gould
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#20 Perseus And The Hidden Self-Portrait Of Benvenuto Cellini
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#21 The Hands Of Daphne Transforming Into Branches In “Apollo And Daphne” By Bernini
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
There’s one more interesting fact about the sculpture’s pupils. Yes, they might be unintentionally heart-shaped, but David is also slightly cross-eyed. Looks like the perfect man isn’t so perfect after all, huh? David looks forward with his left eye but gazes at a distant point with his right.
#22 Giovanni Strazza’s Ability To Make Stone Translucent In His Bust Of The Virgin Mary
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#23 The “Veiled Lady” By Raffaele Monti
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#24 The Level Of Detail In Håkon Anton Fagerås’ Marble Pillows
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
A more humorous take on David’s misaligned eyes is that he might’ve needed glasses to see Goliath. However, experts say that it’s highly unlikely Michaelangelo did this on purpose. “It’s meant to be seen from a long way up and it’s not meant to be viewed face on,” Dr. Louise Marshall from the University of Sydney told ABC Australia. “I think the particular way the eyes are carved has everything to do with expressive effects which have to be read at enormous distance.”
#25 The Piercing Glass Eyes Of The “Antikythera Ephebe”, Unknown Greek Sculptor (C.330 Bc)
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#26 Emperor Lucius Verus’ Beard
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#27 Michelangelo’s Pieta, Arm Detail. Buonarroti Completed This Masterpiece When He Was Just 24 Years Old
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
Michelangelo knew the human anatomy very well, and his many works, David included, reflect that. He’s a symbol of youth and perfection, yet his body proportions are slightly off. Because people would at the statue on the roofline of Opera del Duomo from below, his right hand and head are unusually large. This disproportion also gives the illusion that David is alert and ready for action.
#28 The Veins On David’s Right Hand
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#29 The “Reading Girl” By Pietro Magni
If you look closely at this sculpture, you’ll notice a solitary tear gracefully rolling down the young reader’s left cheek. It shows how much the story in the book has affected her.
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
#30 Marble Skin
The superb artistry of Jago, one of Italy’s most accomplished contemporary artists, is evident in this “Ajax & Cassandra” stunning hand detail.
Image credits: JamesLucasIT
Which little details from these sculptures surprised you the most, Pandas? Or maybe you already knew them? If you know any more interesting facts about the world’s most famous sculptures, be sure to share them with us in the comments, and don’t forget to upvote your favorites in this list!