Great Works Analysis of the Pieta

Hey Mary Beth! I just finished my first draft of this analysis, and I know you said you were interested in seeing it... so here it is! ...Keep in mind, I said rough draft...I'll look over it later, I'm sick of writing it right now. :)

Great Work: Pieta

Brief Synopsis: The Pieta was created between 1497 and 1500 by Michelangelo Buonarroti , before he was 25 years old (Michelangelo Sculptures). The sculpture portrays Mary with Jesus in her arms, sitting on the rock of Golgotha after the crucifixion. It is currently housed in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. The statue was commissioned for the French cardinal Jean de Billheres’s funeral monument. It is made of marble, and measures 174 cm by 195 cm. It is the only work he ever signed. When he displayed the work, Michelangelo overheard someone say that it was the work of another sculptor, Cristoforo Solari (Kilby). He returned that evening, and angrily carved into Mary’s sash, “Michelangelo Buonarroti, Florentine, made this” (The Divine Michelangelo). He later regretted his pride, and swore to never again sign a work (Michelangelo Sculptures).

Historical Significance of the Great Work: Michelangelo sculpted the Pieta during the Renaissance, contributing significantly to the movement. It balances the Renaissance ideals of classical beauty with naturalism, and is one of the most highly finished works of Michelangelo (Michelangelo’s Pieta). At the time, Michelangelo’s sculpture of Mary with the dead Christ was a unique addition to Italian sculpture, though there were some painted depictions in Florentine art. Northern art, however, held a tradition of sculpted pietas, especially in Poland, Germany, and France (The Divine Michelangelo). Other artists at this time portrayed Mary as an older woman, but Michelangelo carved a young Mary. Michelangelo said he was thinking of his own mother’s face; he was five years old when she died (Guide to St. Peters Basilica). Mary’s face is one of eternal youth, which symbolized to the sculptor incorruptible purity. Michelangelo told Ascanio Condivi, his fellow sculptor and biographer, “Do you not know that chaste women stay fresh much more than those who are not chaste? How much more in the case of the Virgin, who had never experienced the least lascivious desire that might change her body” (Linda). Since Michelangelo’s depiction of a young Mary, many artists have followed him in representing Mary as a young woman.

The renaissance was a time of exploration in science, literature, art, and the world. It was during the renaissance that America was discovered, in 1492. Other well-known artists during this time are Donatello, da Vinci, Botticelli, and Raphael. Galileo and Copernicus were exploring Science during the renaissance, while Christopher Columbus, Amerigo, Sir Francis Drake, Cortes, Magellan, and Balboa explored the new world. Prominent literary figures include Machiavelli, Shakespeare, and Bacon (Poole).

Analysis of Great Work: Michelangelo successfully created the facial expressions and bodily form of Mary and Jesus in order to focus the sculpture on the triumph of Christ’s atonement, instead of the sorrow of his death. “On the face of the Christ are absents signs of the Passion” (Pieta by Michelangelo). Unlike most artists of the time, Michelangelo did not want to sculpt a face for Christ that showed his pain and suffering. He chose instead to give him a serene, calm face. The Christ in this sculpture consequently is not a symbol of death and sorrow, but of hope for mankind, gained through sacrifice.

The marks on Christ’s hands and feet are very small, with a clean mark on his side from the spear. Michelangelo chose to carve these marks in a fashion that would not draw focus from the faces of Mary and Jesus. In making the marks smaller, he chose to deemphasize the death of Christ. Instead, the face of Christ stands “as a testimony of the communion between man and God sanctified with the sacrifice of the Saver” (Pieta by Michelangelo). In sculpting a Christ figure with a serene face and minimal body damage, Michelangelo sends a strong message to the viewer that the atonement is a blessing to mankind. He did not want to focus on the pain and misery the Savior experienced, but on his success in providing a way for men and God to be reunited.

Mary’s face is also different from the way many artists chose to portray her at the time. Michelangelo sculpted her face to appear young, a symbol of incorruptible and eternal beauty (Michelangelo’s Pieta). In choosing to sculpt a young Mary, Michelangelo highlighted the triumph of the Son over age and death, which he extends to all who live righteously. The youth of Mary also minimizes the sorrow expressed in her face—she is not worn down with care and age. Many people believe that the Mary is supposed to represent the entire human race. This adds more meaning to Michelangelo’s choice to carve her as a young woman. In doing so, he is suggesting that we do not have to mourn for Christ—he has succeeded, given us the chance to return to God. We, too, can grow young again, free from the sorrows of sin, through the blood of Christ.

Michelangelo also chose to give Mary an expression devoid of passion. “It is…interesting that instead of exhibiting extreme grief, Mary is very restrained” (Michelangelo Sculptures). Her face is calm, as if she has accepted the death of her son. This artistic choice again draws attention away from the death of Christ, and focuses on the good news: that he has triumphed over sin, and offers to us the ability to repent and be reconciled to God. Mary’s face suggests that she is aware of the success of her son in accomplishing this great work. Michelangelo’s depiction of Mary as a young, serene mother emphasizes the victory of Christ.

The choices Michelangelo made in sculpting the Pieta were unique to his time, in that he gave both Mary and Jesus peaceful expressions, drawing attention to the success of the atonement instead of the sorrow of Christ’s death. His decision to minimize the wounds in Christ’s body and to give Mary a young face added to the focus on Christ’s triumph over death and pain. Michelangelo successfully created a Pieta that sends a message of hope for mankind.

Personal Response to the Great Work: I absolutely love this sculpture by Michelangelo, and I really want to get a mini one for my desk. A lot of art surrounding the atonement makes me feel so guilty for my sins, and so sad about what Christ had to go through for me—but this sculpture makes me feel hopeful. Christ is dead, but his work is done, and his face shows no more pain. The peace on Mary’s face seems to suggest to me that I can find peace and rest with Christ; he has paid the price for me, and I can return to God because of him. Michelangelo did a spectacular job at balancing the reality of Christ’s death with the success of the atonement in lifting the burden of sin from man. Though Christ’s body lies in Mary’s arms, Michelangelo’s work evokes in me hope, not sorrow, for the future.

Works Cited

“Guide to St. Peters Bascilica.” Chapel of the Pieta. Stpetersbascilica.org. Web. 21 Nov. 2011.

Kilby, Peter. “Michelangelo’s Pieta.” Rome.info. Rome Info, 21 Nov. 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011.

Linda. “Michelangelo-Pieta.” TerminArtors. Terminartors.com, 12 Mar. 2008. Web. 21 Nov. 2011.

“Michelangelo Sculptures.” Michelangelo Gallery. Studio of the South. Web. 21 Nov. 2011.

“Michelangelo’s Pieta.” Michelangelo. Moodbook. Web. 22 Nov. 2011.

“Pieta by Michelangelo.” RomaViva.com. Web. 22 Nov. 2011.

Poole, Steve. “Renaissance Period- A.D. 1400-1600.” The Classical Score. Classicalscore.com, 14 Feb. 2009. Web. 21 Nov. 2011.

“The Divine Michelangelo – Overview of Michelangelo's Major Artworks". BBC Press Office. BBC. Web. 22 Nov. 2011.