A concise description of Michelanglelo's Pieta. What is your opinion about the pieta and what things do you notice about it

Essay by ahsgirlie87Junior High, 9th gradeA+, April 2002

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The Pieta

Michelangelo is quite possibly the greatest artist of the high Renaissance. His works are known by people all over the world today. You may have heard of the term pieta; this refers to a work showing Mary mourning over the body of Christ. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of works that depict this theme, but none are more famous than Michelangelo's. He chose to use white Carrara marble to create this sculpture. It was done around the year 1500, and can be viewed in St. Peter's Basilica, whose dome was also created by him. Michelangelo was a Renaissance man, and the things he did defied laws, nature, and the beliefs of others: his pieta is no exception.

There are many aspects of the Pieta that can be explored and evaluated. The first thing that I noticed about the Pieta was the overwhelming size of Mary in comparison to Christ.

There are many reasons why this might have been done. The most practical reason was to create support for the sculpture. He may have also done this to show that Mary is the main figure. My personal opinion of why Michelangelo did this was to show the strength and security a young child feels when they are in their mother's arms. Although Jesus was not a young child, to his mother he always would be. Another thing I noticed was how beautiful and flowing Mary's clothing is. It took immense work and tedious hours to show this. The body of Jesus is so realistic in every aspect. It is limp and flaccid, which shows that he is lifeless. From his muscles, to the position of his body, you can see that it is very detailed and realistic. There was no corner left unturned when creating this...