Good against evil. Small against big. Helplessness defies overwhelming odds. What Samuel's book heralds as the courage of the human "small" David when he faces the giant Goliath in battle looks quite brutal in statue form: Thus, David appears in the castle garden holding the severed head of Goliath, hanging in his left hand from the hard blow. No longer a parable, but rather vividly portrayed. On the right, he still carries the sword that led him to triumph—although he had already felled the giant with a sling and stone, securing victory. The wiry David appears almost delicate with the huge sword in hand—while the severed head trophy appears all the more chilling.
The artist is unknown. The biblical analogy, on the other hand, is almost universally recognized. In the form of the statue, it divides opinions: Some see the positive—courage and possibilities—while others perceive a raw act of violence in the sculpture.
What speaks layer by layer as a story of courage
is harsh and crude in the portrayal...
Is David a sympathetic figure? - Probably not.
Nevertheless, the sculpture has endured for a long time. It dates back to 1857 and was evidently worth a reissue to the city. Thus, it was recast and reinstalled in 1997.
