Italy is fighting back against souvenirs focusing on Michelangelo’s David genitals
Michelangelo’s David has been a towering figure in Italy since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue’s religious and political significance is being diminished by the thousands of refrigerator magnets and other souvenirs sold around Florence focusing on David’s genitalia.
The Galleria dell’Accademia director, Cecilie Hollberg, has positioned herself as David’s defender since her arrival at the museum in 2015, taking swift aim at those profiteering from his image, often in ways she finds “debasing”.
In that way, she is a bit of a David herself, up against the Goliath of unfettered capitalism with its army of street vendors and souvenir
