The
Pietà (1499) is a
masterpiece of
Renaissance sculpture by
Michelangelo in
St. Peter's Basilica in
Vatican City. It is the first of a number of works of the same theme by the artist. The statue was commissioned for the
French cardinal Jean de Billheres, who was a representative in Rome. The statue was made for the cardinal's funeral monument, but was moved to its current location, the first chapel on the right as one enters the basilica, in the 18th century.
This famous work of art depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion. The theme is of Northern origin, popular by that time in France but not yet in Italy. Michelangelo's interpretation of the Pietà is unique to the precedents. It is an important work as it balances the Renaissance ideals of classical beauty with naturalism. The statue is one of the most highly finished works by Michelangelo.
The structure is pyramidal, and the vertex coincides with Mary's head. The statue widens progressively down the drapery of the Virgin's dress, to the base, the rock of Golgotha. The figures are quite out of proportion, owing to the difficulty of depicting a fully-grown man cradled full-length in a woman's lap. Much of the Virgin's body is concealed by her monumental drapery, and the relationship of the figures appears quite natural.
The marks of the Crucifixion are limited to very small nail marks and an indication of the wound in Jesus' side.
