Cleaning leaves a brighter 'David'

FLORENCE -- Michelangelo's "David" is brighter but hardly spotless after the completion yesterday of a controversial cleaning timed for the 500th birthday of one of the marvels of world art.

Some pale yellow streaks on the left shin and violet-tinged mold stains on the lower back resisted what was called a "minimalist" restoration of the Renaissance genius's depiction in marble of naked male beauty.

The cleaning of the masterpiece stripped away the grimy, gray patina of decades of dirt and soaked up damaging deposits of chalk in the marble's pores.

Work resumed in September after an aborted start when the original restorer quit in a dispute over how the statue should be cleaned, sparking alarm from restoration watchdogs abroad, led by Columbia University professor James Beck.

As rays of sun bathed "David" in a warm light yesterday under the dome of Florence's Accademia Gallery, Antonio Paolucci, head of the Renaissance city's museums, told reporters the restoration was a "minimalist intervention" that used "harmless, very light substances," such as distilled water and rice paper.

" 'David' is still itself, only what has changed is his luminosity," said restorer Cinzia Parnigoni, who had toiled atop scaffolding for months, applying "mud packs" of cellulose pulp and clay to soak away the dirt as tourists gawked.

Now, the statue seems "less cold" than when it was covered with dust and dirt, Parnigoni said in an interview. Darkened by grime, " 'David' had lost its verve," she said.

Gallery director Franca Falletti said it was as if "a light gray veil had been removed" from the masterpiece.

Some discoloration and other spots refused to disappear with the dabbing of cotton swabs.

Parnigoni replaced Agnese Parronchi, another respected art restorer who had trained with her at Florence's renowned restoration school, Opificio delle Pietre Dure. Parronchi, fearing water could harm the surface, wanted to brush away the dirt in a kind of dry cleaning.

Parronchi said by telephone that she hoped to see "David" during the anniversary celebrations. When told restorers had left the stubborn stains, she said, "Good," but stressed she would reserve judgment until she saw the statue.

One of the biggest critics of the restoration was Beck, who also denounced the restoration of Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel as too harsh because of the dramatic hues that emerged.