| langelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni created the | | | | spots to create realism. The lines are curved and are |
| sculpture Pieta when he was only twenty four years | | | | not stiff as in the art of the middle ages. |
| old. This beautiful sculpture was created by a | | | | Michelangelo’s sculpture is full of beauty and |
| Florentine and was completed in 1499. It is considered | | | | emotion common to the Renaissance period. |
| a Renaissance sculpture and Michelangelo along with | | | | The realism and beauty is what attracted me to this |
| his competitor Leonardo da Vinci were considered | | | | work. Michelangelo was the master of creating |
| than and now as the essence of a | | | | beautiful art and in my opinion no one has even come |
| “renaissance man”. This sculpture | | | | close to recreating the amount of beauty in art as |
| depicts the Virgin Mary holding her son Jesus Christ in | | | | Michelangelo has. Pieta’s greatest aesthetic |
| her arms. Pieta literally translated from Italian means | | | | strength is its impact on the viewer. It is a spiritual piece |
| compassion and perhaps the idea behind the sculpture | | | | that conveys Mary’s love of her son and her |
| is to show Mary’s compassion to her son | | | | love mankind. She looks at peace despite the fact that |
| Jesus. This sculpture is the only work ever signed by | | | | she is holding Jesus in her arms. She knows that he is |
| the master sculptor; he chiseled | | | | the son of god, will be resurrected and will bring peace |
| “Michaelangelus Bonarotus Florentinus | | | | to all those who seek him. This piece has one |
| Faciebat” (Michelangelo Buonarroti, Florentine | | | | aesthetic weakness and that is Michelangelo’s |
| Made This) across a sash on Mary’s chest | | | | signing of the Mary’s sash. He did this in a |
| after another artist of the era tried to take credit for | | | | moment of pride and anger when others thought |
| the work. | | | | someone other than him created the sculpture. |
| This statue was carved from a slab of marble and is | | | | Michelangelo later regretted it, and never signed |
| currently located at St. Peters, Vatican in Rome. It is | | | | another work after Pieta. The beauty and the meaning |
| created in the Renaissance style and great attention is | | | | of this sculpture possess lasting value. It is a piece of |
| paid to the holy event taking place. One interesting | | | | art that had a lot of significance to Christians than and |
| thing about this sculpture is the Virgin’s youth | | | | still does to this day. Culturally it represents the Roman |
| compared to an adult Jesus. When asked to explain | | | | Catholic Church of the period as it was commissioned |
| this Michelangelo stated that the Virgin was so young | | | | by the Pope. It still over five hundred years after it was |
| because of her chastity. The detail is remarkable | | | | created has an important place at St. Peters in Rome. |
| especially the anatomical details of Jesus Christ. | | | | References: |
| Michelangelo seemed to capture the human form | | | | Michelangelo. (2007). Home page. Retrieved March 27, |
| perfectly in what he would have thought Jesus would | | | | 2007, from Wikipedia |
| have looked like. You can make out muscle tone, | | | | Web site: |
| ankles and even tendons in spots. The Virgin’s | | | | Pieta. (2007). Home page. |
| cloak seems to be folded and creased in just the right | | | | |