The Pietà (sculpted by Michelangelo) is a depiction of the Virgin Mary embracing her son Jesus after he was taken down from the cross and it is presently located in an ornate Baroque chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City. It was carved from Carrara marble between 1948 and 1500 and it was the first of the three versions Michelangelo sculpted during his lifetime. According to Unger “the Pietà is a work of silence and of mystery, of contemplation rather than raw feeling.” (68) The Roman’s Pietà grandeur and foremost confidence inspire admiration and respect instead of compassion. The 1498-1500 Pietà is the most sophisticated and most touching from these three magnificent pieces. The word pietà is from Italian origin, which means
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However, the paradox of the sculpture could seem illogical since form and proportions are in conflict. Mary’s demeanor is calmed and relaxed contrary to what the audience might expect of a grieving mother. She also looks younger than Jesus, which makes people wonder why. The bodies are also out of proportion; Jesus seems smaller than normal; however, his body shows an unrivaled understanding of anatomy. Unger stated that according to Condivi [quoting Michelangelo] “chaste women retain their fresh looks much longer than those who are not chaste.” (66) Jesus’ body retained its perfection and even though it looked smaller, it was with the intention of not making Mary look awkward holding a grown man. Regardless of the disproportion and body language, the image appeals to logos. In regards to ethos, Michelangelo was a remarkable artist, one of the most prominent in history. His work created polemic but his name and artwork is well known all over the world. Lastly, its appeal to pathos is extremely broad. One can feel that the emotions are out of context since Mary does not look unhinged, which will be normal since she is holding her dead son on her lap. Michelangelo’s approach was more cerebral since he wanted to remind his audience of his unique genius work. His sculpture evokes peace, admiration, beauty, resignation, forbearance, and perfection (despite the imperfect dimensions). Unger states “Michelangelo was famously averse to showing anything that marred the perfection of the human form, even in scenes like this where gruesome details will be out of place.”
However, the paradox of the sculpture could seem illogical since form and proportions are in conflict. Mary’s demeanor is calmed and relaxed contrary to what the audience might expect of a grieving mother. She also looks younger than Jesus, which makes people wonder why. The bodies are also out of proportion; Jesus seems smaller than normal; however, his body shows an unrivaled understanding of anatomy. Unger stated that according to Condivi [quoting Michelangelo] “chaste women retain their fresh looks much longer than those who are not chaste.” (66) Jesus’ body retained its perfection and even though it looked smaller, it was with the intention of not making Mary look awkward holding a grown man. Regardless of the disproportion and body language, the image appeals to logos. In regards to ethos, Michelangelo was a remarkable artist, one of the most prominent in history. His work created polemic but his name and artwork is well known all over the world. Lastly, its appeal to pathos is extremely broad. One can feel that the emotions are out of context since Mary does not look unhinged, which will be normal since she is holding her dead son on her lap. Michelangelo’s approach was more cerebral since he wanted to remind his audience of his unique genius work. His sculpture evokes peace, admiration, beauty, resignation, forbearance, and perfection (despite the imperfect dimensions). Unger states “Michelangelo was famously averse to showing anything that marred the perfection of the human form, even in scenes like this where gruesome details will be out of place.”