Posted on 04/15/2022 11:38:57 AM PDT by MurphsLaw
On this day...
A sword pierced through her Soul also...
Her Soul that has forever magnified The Lord...
She was there when she said for Him,
"Thy Will be done unto me...";
She was there when He said to His Father,
"Thy Will be done"
Obviously one of the greatest works of art ever executed.
My one criticism of Michelangelo's famous work is that Jesus is entirely too small compared to Mary. Why Michelangelo did this is unfortunate in my opinion. Otherwise, the Pieta is one of the most beautiful statues in the world.
“Obviously one of the greatest works of art ever executed.”
The picture does not and can not do justice to “La Pieta”. When you stand in front of “La Pieta”, it is of extreme beauty and passion.
What is your understanding of why he chose to do this?
Very intense - even seeing it as a kid.
The Pieta shows us a Mary who is considerably larger than Jesus. As far as I know, Michelangelo didn't give us his reason for this. I will only guess that Michelangelo didn't make a mistake but rather chose to portray a small, dead and limp Jesus laying across His large mother -- to contrast Jesus' weak humanity and the payment he made for sin against a mother displaying her strength and love in the face of death.
I saw that at the NY World’s Fair back in the mid-60’s.
It’s an incredible piece of artwork. Completely life size.
Marble sculptures in general AMAZE ME!!
And this is awesome
My art history teacher said that Michelangelo made Mary look larger, with massive drapery around her head and shoulders, because he knew the statue would be placed up high on a pedestal, but viewed by visitors from the floor below.
With the centuries-later advent of photography, we see pictures of the work straight on. Michelangelo’s masterful manipulation of space does not work at the full frontal angle.
Nope. I was only 10 at the time.
Kind of oblivious to politics.
However, I still remember the event of seeing it vividly. It made it seem so real.
Perhaps so it wouldn’t be top heavy either, and thus not prone to tipping over.
Just a guess.
I found this on an internet search. It’s copies of an article printed at the time.
It’s hard to read, but it seems like the presentation of the statue was what was criticized.
It also shows a picture of the statue apparently at the Vatican up on a pedestal and the perspective does change the appearance. Mary does not look so imposing from below as the full frontal pictures.
What a genius Michelangelo was for even considering perspective and creating something that would take it into account so beautifully.
This was Michelangelo’s first statue, and he wasn’t yet 30 years old when he finished it. Genius will out.
It’s also the only work of art he created that he signed. The sash across Mary’s bosom has his name on it, and her left palm bears the letter “M.” At the time this was generally regarded as a vanity and he was mocked for it. After that he limited his vanities to occasionally putting his face in some of his paintings. It’s on the walls of the Sistine twice (or is it three times?), but Pieta was the only work he signed.
A heart of flaming sulphur, flesh of tow,
Bones of dry wood, a soul without a guide
To curb the fiery will, the ruffling pride
Of fierce desires that from the passions flow;
A sightless mind that weak and lame doth go
Mid snares and pitfalls scattered far and wide;--
What wonder if the first chance brand applied
To fuel massed like this should make it glow?
Add beauteous art, which, brought with us from heaven,
Will conquer nature;--so divine a power
Belongs to him who strives with every nerve.
If I was made for art, from childhood given
A prey for burning beauty to devour,
I blame the mistress I was born to serve.Michelangelo Di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni
The other GGG topics added since the last digest ping:
Whatever happened to Laszlo Toth, the man who smashed Michelangelo’s Pieta in 1972?
https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-2565,00.html
21st May 1972: Laszlo Toth attacks Michelangelo’s Pietà with a hammer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmngGZmkPKI
Happy Easter, metmom!
You can see Michelangelo's perspective technique also in his statue of David, which like the Pietà is mounted on a high pedestal; but when viewed directly on, the head appears larger than natural:
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