pieta Flashcards
artist
Michelangelo
what is a pieta
depicts the Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Christ after his crucifixion, death, and removal from the cross, but before he was placed in the tomb
portrayal of Mary
Michelangelo portrays the Madonna as youthful, symbolizing her incorruptible purity- neoplatonism
the seven sorrows of Mary
represents one of the key events from the Virgin’s life
How does Michelangelo’s Pietà differ from those in France and Germany?
Unlike the stiff, outward-extending Christ found in Northern versions, Michelangelo’s Christ appears serene and sleeping, emphasizing beauty over suffering.
compositional structure of Michelangelo’s Pietà.
he sculpture has a pyramidal composition, with the apex at Mary’s head, and the base widening through her drapery to the rock of Golgotha.
how is christ divine nature emphasised
-idealised form, serene
-fingers of mary dont touch him, cloth seperates them
realism
precise anatomical details, like the veins on his hands from his dissections
scale
-mary significantly larger with billowing drapery, adds as a support
Why is the Pietà considered a High Renaissance sculpture?
reflects harmony, idealized beauty
material
carved from a single block of carrara marble
marble useful in creating texture of skin and emphasising anatomical detail
divinity
-neoplatonic expression of beauty
-polished
-use of marble
humanism
-michelangelo signs pieta
-use of classical marble
-realism
hy did Michelangelo sign the Pietà, and what is unique about the inscription?
He signed it after hearing others attribute it to another artist. The idiosyncratic use of “facebat” (was making) reflects a Medici court discussion on art’s perpetual incompleteness.
Who commissioned the Pietà, and for what purpose?
french cardinal bilheres
died before was made which increased status of this peice more
