“PIETA”

BY MICHAEL ANGELO
BACKGROUND
The Pietà was a popular subject among northern European artists. This famous work of art depicts the body
of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion.. Michelangelo's interpretation of the Pietà is
unprecedented in Italian sculpture. It is the only piece Michelangelo ever signed. It is also the only known
sculpture created by a prominent name from the Renaissance era that was installed in St. Peter's Basilica that
was accepted by the Chapter of St. Peter.

MEDIUM
Michelangelo carved it from a single slab of marble. Specifically, he used Carrara marble, a white and blue
stone named for the Italian region where it is mined. It's been a favorite medium of sculptors since the days of
Ancient Rome. One of the key features of Renaissance art was the use of geometric and symmetric shapes to
create a sense of balance and harmony. Michelangelo's Pietà is shaped like a triangle, with Mary's head at the
top and Christ's body in her lap forming the base. It is an important work as it balances the Renaissance ideals
of classical beauty with naturalism.
Stylistic Period they Represent
 Influenced by the northern style, Michelangelo draped the figure of Christ across Mary’s lap. Through this
pyramidal design and the details of his figures, Michelangelo created a scene that displayed at once agony,
solemnity, and heroic resignation. The theme, which has no literary source but grew out of the theme of the
lamentation over Christ’s body, first appeared in the early 14th century in Germany. It soon spread
to France and enjoyed great popularity in northern Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries.

REFERENCE:

Pietà | iconography | Britannica