Michelangelo made a total of three Pietás in his lifetime: the St. Peter’s Pietá, Florence Pietá, and the Rondanini Pietá. The main one that is the most iconic is the St. Peter’s Pietá. This theme of art was very popular during the fifteenth century. Many different artist tackled the theme in different ways, mainly in painting and in sculpture, but Michelangelo’s stands out over the rest. His sculpture is what most people seek out when searching for this theme of art.
Pietá is a theme in Christian art that depicts Madonna holding Jesus in her lap and looking at him with lamentation after he has been crucified. It comes from the Italian word meaning “pity,” but this theme can also be called “La Vierge de Pitié” (G). This theme of art work became …show more content…
It comes from Champagne in France. In this high relief, the Virgin is seated on a flat bench holding Christ on her knees, with the crown of thorns still on him. The garments that she wears match the style of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries; a tunic that is cut round at the neck and close-fitting sleeves. A mantel conceals her hair and casts deep shadows across her as it drapes down in dynamic folds. The expression on her face shows great grief as does the sharp angle of her head and her awkwardly head arm (G). There is another Pietá that lies in the church at Bayel shown in Figure 2, that was also made in the sixteenth century. This sculpture is very similar to the relief found in Champagne. This sculpture has the same pose as the relief; Christ is lying on Mary’s knees as she cradles him in her arms. But there is a difference between the two, in the Bayel Pietá, there is a certain softness to the pose. The Virgin no longer has the stiff arm holding Christ but rather holds him gently and seems to be bending down as if to kiss the face (G). Another example of a Pietá would be the Avignon Pietá. This oil painting was made in the fifteenth century and shows a remarkable difference from the others. This Pietá shows much more control than the others. In the Avignon, as shown in Figure 3, Christ is still on Mary’s lap. But rather than her reaching out towards him, she has her hands
Pietá is a theme in Christian art that depicts Madonna holding Jesus in her lap and looking at him with lamentation after he has been crucified. It comes from the Italian word meaning “pity,” but this theme can also be called “La Vierge de Pitié” (G). This theme of art work became …show more content…
It comes from Champagne in France. In this high relief, the Virgin is seated on a flat bench holding Christ on her knees, with the crown of thorns still on him. The garments that she wears match the style of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries; a tunic that is cut round at the neck and close-fitting sleeves. A mantel conceals her hair and casts deep shadows across her as it drapes down in dynamic folds. The expression on her face shows great grief as does the sharp angle of her head and her awkwardly head arm (G). There is another Pietá that lies in the church at Bayel shown in Figure 2, that was also made in the sixteenth century. This sculpture is very similar to the relief found in Champagne. This sculpture has the same pose as the relief; Christ is lying on Mary’s knees as she cradles him in her arms. But there is a difference between the two, in the Bayel Pietá, there is a certain softness to the pose. The Virgin no longer has the stiff arm holding Christ but rather holds him gently and seems to be bending down as if to kiss the face (G). Another example of a Pietá would be the Avignon Pietá. This oil painting was made in the fifteenth century and shows a remarkable difference from the others. This Pietá shows much more control than the others. In the Avignon, as shown in Figure 3, Christ is still on Mary’s lap. But rather than her reaching out towards him, she has her hands