An advertisement for Illinois-based gun manufacturer ArmaLite has sparked considerable controversy in Italy. The ad features Michelangelo’s David sculpture, one of Florence’s foremost cultural icons, clutching a bolt-action rifle called the AR-50A1, which reportedly costs over $3,000. The tongue-in-cheek tagline reads ‘A Work of Art.’
Dario Franceschini, Italy’s minister of cultural heritage, was among the first to speak out against the advertisement. In a tweet on March 8, Franceschini said simply that the image ‘is offensive and violates the law,’ promising to take legal action against ArmaLite if the company fails to pull the campaign.
Angelo Tartuferi, the director of the Accademia Gallery, similarly stated that the use of the image was illegal and ‘in bad taste.’ He went on to add that ArmaLite did not ask for permission to reuse the image, and that it would not have been granted if they had. Florence’s councilor for culture, Sergio Givone, remarked that this use of the image was equivalent to ‘an act of violence against the sculpture.’
Michelangelo’s David is considered a masterpiece of Renaissance art, and the complaints have largely been made on the grounds that the ad fails to respect the cultural dignity of the work. Art critic Philippe Davverio, who TF had the chance to interview earlier this year, had a different take on the situation: The Guardian quoted him as saying ‘certain cultural icons belong to everyone and no one; to humanity in general.’
*Updated Friday, March 14, 2014: Cristina Acidini, Sorprintendente del Polo Museale di Firenze, has announced that ABC News reported that the advertisement was withdrawn in summer 2013 after ArmaLite’s ownership changed. The CEO of ArmaLite’s new parent company, Strategic Army Corps, LLC, released a statement after witnessing Italy’s strong reactions to the ad: ‘I believe that an advertisement utilizing an altered photograph of a masterpiece such as David is in poor taste. We deeply regret that ArmaLite offended anyone by this media campaign, which we ended upon our acquisition of the Company. We will make every effort to be sure that any remnants from the campaign are removed from the public.’
