Final answer:
The judges were surprised by the design competition winner, David, as he focused on antiquity and Renaissance art over the traditional Baroque, which differed from previous winners.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to "Always to Remember," the judges were surprised by who won the design competition because the winner, David, took an unconventional approach in his focus. While the competition was traditionally influenced by works of the Baroque period, with a primary focus on selected masters from that era, David significantly deviated from this expectation.
Instead, he chose to reverse the hierarchy by focusing his attention on the art of antiquity, the Renaissance, and particularly on the classicizing Baroque artist, Nicolas Poussin, in contrast to former winners.