The Italian and Northern Renaissance


 This sculpture is Michelangelo's Madonna della Pietà, made in 1498-1499 in Old St. Peter's Basilica.

 

The statue depicts Mary, the mother of God, holding the body of her son Jesus after his death by crucifixion. It was a popular scene to depict at the time, though it was more common in France and Germany than it was in Italy. The two figures are arranged to form a pyramidal shape, a commonly used compositional framing at the time. It was a rarity to have more than one subject in a sculpture. Uncommonly, the Virgin Mary appears very young in this statue, much younger than the mother of a 33-year-old man should look. Michelangelo received some criticism for this decision. He is said to have made it this way to emphasize the purity of Mary ever virgin. This piece is the one that catapulted Michelangelo into fame. When he overheard others speculating that another was the artist, he carved his name into Mary's sash, the only one of his works he ever signed.

 

The statue was placed into a small alcove, where the shadows would appear to encroach on Mary from all sides, yet she only looks upon her son, the light of the world. 

 

Mary appears sorrowful, but her hand faces up towards the heavens. She appears accepting, peaceful despite her grief, or perhaps merely numb. She cradles him as if he were still a baby held safe in her arms. The marks of his violent death are mostly left out of this particular depiction, the only signs are the nail holes in his hands and feet, as well as his lifeless body. This statue of one of the seven sorrows of Mary shows her final goodbye to her son before she must place his body into the tomb. 

The Renaissance gave rise to many a famous religious art piece given the influence of the Catholic Church. Michelangelo is still a household name all these centuries later. This era of the church was filled with highs that showcased many an achievement in the arts and was part of the movement to make Rome the cultural capital of Europe.

 

I used to go to a church with a copy of this statue in it, placed in a recess on the side wall. It has been a long time and I no longer remember all the details of how faithful a recreation it was. I believe it was painted in full color, and on the wall behind them there were two halos positioned so that viewed from the front, they would be placed behind the heads of Jesus and Mary. I looked at it often and wondered at it as only a child with limited life experience can. It's a beautiful statue, though I am not sure I would ever own a copy. It is quite a sorrowful piece to look upon every day.

 

 

Works cited

 

“Michelangelo’s Pieta.” ItalianRenaissance.Org, www.italianrenaissance.org/michelangelos-pieta/. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023. 

 

Lev, Elizabeth, and Catholic Digest. “The Light of Michelangelo’s Pieta.” Catholic Digest, Catholic Digest, 28 Mar. 2023, www.catholicdigest.com/from-the-magazine/way-of-beauty/the-light-of-michelangelos-pieta/.

 


 


Comments

  1. kebatishemOctober 4, 2023 at 7:41 PM

    Hello Gallagher
    This a wonderful art and reminds me many years back in my high school being a missionary of the catholic church I used to see it painted on the church and another as stature place on the corner of the church. I totally like your analysis of the art and being a Christiaan you did it so wonderful. The links is working and citations looks good to me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Andrea PetkoffOctober 6, 2023 at 5:32 PM

    Hi Gallagher,
    This statue brings great emotion out of me. From the sorrows of a mother losing her child to the sacrifice of Christ before the resurrection, this statue illuminates a core tenant of Christianity- faith and love for god. Michelangelo's choice to make Mary look younger out of her purity gives a greater sense of her sacrifice too. She gave her life to be the mother of Jesus and eventually her son for all of our enlightenment. It's a beautiful piece.

    ReplyDelete

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