Preview

Michelangelo La Pieta

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
973 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Michelangelo La Pieta
Respective artists Michelangelo and William-Adolphe Bouguereau’s give their perception of Virgin Mary cradling the descended Jesus in her arms. These artworks take their inspiration from the cycles of the Life of Christ, during the Lamentation of Christ when he is removed from the cross. Two specific types of Lamentation were created by Michelangelo between 1498-1499 and Bouguereau during 1825-1895. These types of artwork are known as in French La Pietà, and in Italian La Pitié, both meaning "The Pity”.

Michelangelo: La Pieta #1
Carved from a single slab of Carrara marble, Michelangelo’s La Pieta is a really intimate image, which is an adaptation of the lamentation of Christ, his descent from the cross. There is an extraordinary relationship Michelangelo constructed between the body of the dead Christ and Mary. Since its creation before the birth of the 15th century, Michelangelo's Pietà has inspired emotion, faith, and imitation through its elegant depiction of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ in contemporary …show more content…
She is focused on the viewer, presenting her concern towards the viewer that she is questioning everything. Her eyes are filled with sorrow and condemnation, searching for answers. Coming to grips with the death of her son she blames others. This painting portrays Mary accusing both the heavens and the earth for the pain she and her son has suffered through her expression. The torment Jesus went through is displayed with the crown of thorns lying on a white cloth, covered in the blood of Christ. This represents the sacrifice that was made for humankind to attain salvation. In contrast to Michelangelo's Pieta where Mary is offering Jesus as a sign for salvation, she instead clutches him close from the sinful world, undeserving in her mind of his sacrifice. This painting helps the believers to be mindful and forgive those who make mistakes, challenging believers to show praise for Jesus’, God’s, and Mary’s
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    "Madonna and Child" Bellini vs. Berlinghiero
    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages

    "Madonna and Child" Bellini vs. Berlinghiero

    This paper will explore very important differences and similarities of two master pieces of art work, both named "Madonna and Child", available at Metropolitan Museum of Art. First piece, "Madonna and Child" C.1230, was made by Berlinghiero, an Italian artist who lived in early thirteenth century. The other version of "Madonna and Child" was made in 1480's, by a famous Venetian artist Giovanni Bellini, who lived between 1430-1516. Therefore, this short paper will be an attempt to show the change in art occurred in the same area but in different times.Starting with the "Madonna and Child" of Berlinghiero, which is a very unnatural image, Mary and Christ look flat because there is lack of showing depth. Mary is holding Jesus in her arm in front of a golden background. While Jesus looks towards his right, Mary is looking at the viewer. She has suffering expression in her face. The lines around her eyes and forehead, and her lips shows that she is upset. Mary appears like she knows the future crucifixion of her son. Also another reason why she is upset, would be the isolation and anger towards her because of having a baby in an illegitimate way, which is not true but most of the people didn't understand when she gave a birth to Christ . Mary's hands, one holding Jesus, one pointing him, are very thin and long. Jesus, unlike Mary, has a calm expression and his face looks very old and mature for his body's size. He is holding a scroll, probably it's a religious text from the Bible, which may refer to bringing the direct afflatus of the Holy Spirit.Performing "Madonna and Child", Berlinghiero was influenced by Byzantine icons, small portable paintings depicting holy figures usually Christ and the Virgin. This icon-like image exhibits many of the characteristics of Byzantine traits, for instance, the Virgin's long straight nose and small mouth, schematic linear folds of Christ's robe.When examining…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Unit 3 Art Appreciation Paper
    • 1280 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Unit 3 Art Appreciation Paper

    This is yet another well-known story from the Bible. It shows a child kneeling on the ground embraced in the arms of someone who means a lot to him. According to Frank this painting symbolized a disobedient son who left his father and home to be on his own and when he had nothing left he crawled back expecting his father to turn him away. But he did not open his arms to let him back in. The painting demonstrates the Baroque style. The emotion and drama involved show the most heartfelt part of the story, not the pain or betrayal only the love of a father and son. The light is brightest on the father and son. Here he interprets the Christian idea of mercy with an extraordinary solemnity, as though this were his spiritual testament to the world (Web Gallery of Art,…

    • 1280 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Lamentation by Byzantine Painters and Jacob Cornelist. Van Oostsanen
    • 931 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Lamentation by Byzantine Painters and Jacob Cornelist. Van Oostsanen

    This masterpiece narrates the history in a New Testament. Central place in the composition of the drama takes Christ while Joseph Arimatean, Nicodemus, Mary, and John are participant. Holy mother of God kissed the dead face of Christ, Joseph supports the body of Christ, John, who is the beloved apostle of Christ, bent down and he took Jesus hand to put it on his face, and Nicodemus who kneeled and with both hand he hold the pliers with which retrieves nails of the feet of Christ nailed to the cross. The painting shows their attitudes, expressions…

    • 931 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Quiz on Leonardo da Vinci
    • 472 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Quiz on Leonardo da Vinci

    -True- Michelangelo’s Pieta depicts Mary holding her dead son and also echoes the Madonna and child theme.…

    • 472 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Northern Renaissance Art Comparison
    • 804 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Northern Renaissance Art Comparison

    The first panel is the donors that commissioned the painting by Campin, the second panel is the same Annunciation scene of Mary and Gabriel but depicted quite differently, and the third panel is Saint Joseph. This painting pays close attention to clarity and detail, with varying colors and realism. The painting is in oil, and has a style that reflects the Northern Renaissance period. For example, the angel and Mary do not have halos, and it lacks linear perspective. The lack of halos, as well as Mary’s face (which doesn’t seem too happy about the fact that she is about to conceive Christ’s child) could relate to the religious separation that Northern Europe was experiencing during the Renaissance. Northern Renaissance art is very well known for its symbolism, and in this painting nearly every object is symbolic of spiritual ideas (Harris). For example, lilies represent Mary’s virginity, Joseph’s tools represent the Passion of the Christ, and the extinguished candle represents God taking human…

    • 804 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    holy trinity explained art
    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages

    holy trinity explained art

    The holy trinity painting by Masaccio has a religious subject matter because it is a painting of Jesus on the cross, with god the father behind him, and Mary and john at his sides with two patrons at the feet at both Mary and john. At the bottom of the fresco there is a tomb with the word inscribed, the inscription reads: “ what you are, I once was; what I am, you will be.”…

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pieta Compare And Contrast
    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Pieta Compare And Contrast

    Christ is shown only wearing cloth around his waist. Both of the sculptures feature Mary and Christ with smooth skin, a remarkable touch considering the materials used and the techniques used to make the works. Although the pieces are very similar, there are differences between them in terms of material, style and degree of realism. Pieta created by Tilman Riemenschneider was made out of wood while Pieta made by Michelangelo was created out of marble stone.…

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Annunciation Analysis
    • 969 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Annunciation Analysis

    Many of the objects depicted in High Renaissance paintings were there for a reason. In “The Annunciation,” Mary is the largest figure and the main focus. She is shown facing front, with her head tilted toward the floor and her eyes almost closed. In her left hand she is holding the Bible, representing her devoutness to God, her right hand is raised, all fingers pointing up. Archangel Gabriel is on the left side of the panel, shown smaller and wearing the ornate vestments of a priest. His clothes symbolize the similarity between him and the clergy of the Church: they both share the word of God. They are both wearing very loose fitting clothing that have many folds. The Holy Trinity is represented here by God, baby Jesus carrying his cross, and a dove, often a symbol of the Holy Spirit. They are all connected by seven rays of light, flowing directly from God’s mouth onto Mary. The seven rays represent the seven days it took God to create the universe. Gold is used as a symbol to represent divinity (Smith). White lilies in a vase between angel Gabriel and Mary often symbolized Mary’s purity. Written on the vase is “Ave Regina,” representing the Hail Mary prayer. The Latin words written in gold are archangel Gabriel telling Mary, “‘Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus’” (Luke 1:31). Symbolism can also be found in the frame of the painting. The three arches at the…

    • 969 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Renaissance Art Influence
    • 1347 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Renaissance Art Influence

    Peter’s Basilica. The art in which followed this commission was the creation of Pieta, “The scene of the Pieta shows 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,” (Italianrenaissance.org). Michelangelo stated that the block of marble he used to produce this sculpture was the most perfect block he ever used. An indicator of its rarity and uniqueness is that the sculpture is multi-figured; this was something that was very rare in that period of time. Furthermore, the proportions of the Virgin’s body is larger that Christ’s body; however, this was caused by the garments on her lap flowing into an abundance of drapery making her appear much larger. It can be examined that the Virgin is experiencing utter sadness and devastation: she seems resigned to what has happened, and becomes enveloped in graceful acceptance. Furthermore, Christ is depicted almost as if he is in a peaceful slumber, and not one who has been bloodied and bruised after hours of torture and suffering. Overall, these two figures are beautiful and idealized, despite their suffering. This reflects the High Renaissance belief in Neo-Platonic ideals in that beauty on earth reflected God’s beauty, so these beautiful figures were echoing the beauty of…

    • 1347 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    St Christopher Analysis
    • 1207 Words
    • 5 Pages

    St Christopher Analysis

    The paintings illustrating Christ’s crucifixion emphasize both his sacrifice to rid the world of sin, as well as the idea of everlasting life after death. For example, the Triptych with the Crucifixion, an oil painting on panel, illustrates the portrayals of Christ that were commonly repeated throughout the medieval period. The scene of the Crucifixion in the middle is supported by a scene of Pope Gregory the Great experiencing a vision of Christ during Mass and a scene of Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child. The closed side panels also show a scene of the Annunciation, in which the angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive the Son of God. These four scenes all share the common purpose of reinforcing the idea of Christ as a man, but also briefly suggest his transcendence. Although he is not the most imposing or impressive character in each scene, from conception to posthumous miracle, Christ is the clear subject matter in every case, demonstrating the dual nature of his divinity and…

    • 1207 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Michelangelo's Last Judgement
    • 1430 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Michelangelo's Last Judgement

    Michelangelo Buonarroti, born in the sixteenth century, was perhaps one of the greatest artisans of all time. He was an accomplished artist, sculptor, architect, and poet who demonstrated his great skill with the creation of many astounding works. Michelangelo 's artwork consisted of paintings and sculptures that showed humanity in its natural state. He is remembered today as the man who had sculpted the "David" and the "Pieta", which are two of the most stunning sculptures to come out of the Renaissance period. Although sculpting was the love of his life, his paintings of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and "The Last Judgement" are considered by many his best masterpieces. Michelangelo 's artistic career can be divided into two periods. In the early period he focused on realism. During this early period Michelangelo 's works included the Pieta and the David. At the age of 24 he completed a statue called the "Pieta," which is still in its original place in Saint Peter 's Basilica. This marble sculpture shows the dead Jesus Christ in his mother 's arms. In 1501 Michelangelo returned to Florence, Italy to sculpt the famous nude sculpture called the "David." The "David" measures 18 feet tall, and is so massive that it took 40 men to move it from Michelangelo 's workshop (Liebert, 72). The second period of Michelangelo 's career was based upon his own imagination. In 1505 Michelangelo was summoned by Pope Julius II to fabricate a monumental tomb for him. We have no clear sense of what the tomb was to look like, since over the years it went through at least five conceptual revisions, and was never actually finished due to frustrating delays. A short time after starting the tomb, Pope Julius II selected Michelangelo to fresco the Sistine Chapel ceiling. When other artists were asked to paint ceilings they lied down on the scaffolding. Michelangelo painted in a standing position which caused him much discomfort (Liebert 146-147). Michelangelo even wrote a sonnet in…

    • 1430 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Crivelli Madonna And Child
    • 681 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Crivelli Madonna And Child

    Crivelli’s painting shows the Madonna behind the inscribed marble slap delicately holding the infant Christ. Christ is sitting on a cushion, holding a bird and surrounded by a carnation, cherries and a book of hours. Set against a fading blue background, behind them are two angels and above the group of figures is an array of fruit hang overhead. While retaining strong iconography of the christian imagery before its time, Crivelli’s Madonna and Child with Two Angels changes some of those details in order to focus on the divine-human duality of the Virgin and Christ. The figures’ placements and positions indicate the extent of each one’s divine nature or humanity — the closer they are to the viewer, the closer they are to our human world.…

    • 681 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Comparison between the Crucifixes’ of Cimabue and Giotto
    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Comparison between the Crucifixes’ of Cimabue and Giotto

    Cimabue is known for being well adept in both his technical knowledge and his move towards more humanistic interpretations of religious figures and saints. This painting is a mix of the traditional guiding (applying the layer of the gold leaf) and the wooden structure, with a Jesus who is clearly in pain (the most natural side to Cimabue’s work), unlike older interpretations. The Jesus on the this Crucifix is clearly in anguish shown noticeably by the position of his body and the details in his face – closed eyes, tilted head, open mouth. This interpretation of Christ looks lifeless,…

    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The life and times of Roy Shaw
    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The life and times of Roy Shaw

    Royston Henry Shaw (11 March 1936 – 14 July 2012), also known as Roy "Pretty Boy" Shaw, Roy "Mean Machine" Shaw and Roy West, was an English millionaire, real estate investor, author and businessman from the East End of London who was formerly a criminal and Category A prisoner. During the 1970s-1980s, Shaw was active in the criminal underworld of London and was frequently associated with the Kray twins. Shaw is best remembered today for his career as a fighter on the unlicensed boxing scene, becoming an arch-rival with Lenny McLean.[1]…

    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Leonardo Da Vinci The Last Supper
    • 1800 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Leonardo Da Vinci The Last Supper

    This work of art Leonardo Da Vinci imagined, and with his imagination he succeeded in expressing the thoughts and emotions he had on The Last Super. Jesus taught at the Last Supper to live a faithful life while here on earth by serving others in love. I am glad that I chose this particular painting to write about. I chose this painting because I wrote about earlier this paiting inspires me. By using this particular painting for my paper I was able to not only educate myself with the true meaning behind Leonard Da Vinci’s work…

    • 1800 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More

Related Topics