I know Michangelo created the David statue around 1504 now in Galleria dell Accademia, but what artist(s) created the David "copies" in the two above locations and when? Any background information will be appreciated.

I believe it was done to protect the original statue.

Sorry, must have not read your question properly. I don't know the artist who created the "copies".

TO THE TOP.<BR>

I thought I had read once that molds were made of the original, and the sculptures were cast from the molds, <BR>a la Rodin's many-copied "Thinker".

The central sculptural "homage" to Michelangelo enshrined in the bronze version of the DAVID was a gift from the Intalian government to Florence for the Piazzale Michelangelo, which was designed by Guiseppe Poggi between 1865-70. Interestingly enough, a statue by Giovanni Dupre, of Michelangelo himself, was supposed to adorn the Piazzale, but his proposal was not accepted by the city. A statue of Michelangelo would have made for a better spectacle instead of the copy of DAVID, which has no real artistic validity.<BR><BR>The four allegoric figures beneath the copy of DAVID are copies from the Medici tombs.<BR><BR>The copy of David in Piazza Signoria has supposedly stood there since 1873, replacing the "real" DAVID which was finished in 1504.<BR><BR>Anyone who creates a copy of an original work is not an artist. Both copies of DAVID, both in Signoria and P. Michelangelo were cast and not "created" by anyone.