Overview: Michelangelo's sculpture was lent by the Italian government as a token of gratitude for postwar aid, and to reaffirm the friendship and cultural ties between the peoples of Italy and the United States. It was installed in time for President Harry Truman's inaugural reception, held at the Gallery on January 20. During the next 6 months, the Gallery had more than 791,000 visitors, most of whom took the opportunity to view the (so-called) David-Apollo.

Pamphlet: Michelangelo's David from the Bargello, by Charles Seymour Jr. Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, 1949.