The great Renaissance artist, sculptor, architect and poet Michelangelo is represented in the Hermitage Museum by his Crouching Boy sculpture, which was originally intended for the tomb of the Medici, the rulers of Florence.

The figure is exceedingly expressive; though the head is bowed and the face hardly visible, the taut muscles of the body produce a striking impression of the great inner strength that enables one to withstand the pain.

Some scholars see here an allegory for the unborn soul, while others see the figure as a wounded soldier or a spirit of mourning. Yet others believe that this sculpture is a reflection of the depression suffered by many Florentine citizens during the years of the Spanish invasion.

To put it another way, the true meaning of this work remains a mystery to this day.

This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.

Scanned : Photogrammetry (Processed using Agisoft PhotoScan)