the pietà
yesterday, in humanities class, Sir Mark discussed about the Pietà. i got very much interested because i have heard about the pietà before but i thought it as nothing since most artists actually make sculptures of Mary lamenting over Jesus. it was only yesterday that i realized Michaelangelo's Pietà is very much different from the others.
the sculpture, made from marble, is one of the most astounding pieces made by Michaelangelo. it is the only work that he signed. (see story at wikipedia.org) the universality of the theme -- a mother who is sorrowful over a child's death or suffering -- is immediately conveyed to the viewer. even the littlest details -- the nails, folds of the fingers -- are masterfully sculpted leaving the viewer dumbfounded by the craft. but one thing dominates: Mary in Michaelangelo's Pietà looks very much younger than she should be. remember that Jesus died around 30, so Mary is supposed to look around 50. but no, Michaelangelo created a young Mary, no tears--only exhaustion and silent pain.
Sir Mark gave us time to write an essay as to why would Michaelangelo make a young picture of Mary...why he preferred to divert from reality and hide a deeper meaning to this detail...i had two ideas. which i was not quite sure of since i haven't really read much about the Pietà prior to yesterday's essay. anyway, one: i connected Mary's youthfulness to the story of Jesus's rising from the dead. i thought that this could mean rebirth. and Mary, as we all know gave birth to Jesus when she was very young. so maybe Michaelangelo wished the viewer to recall this story. two: it is a known fact that Mary, distinctively, is the Blessed Virgin...pure, chaste, innocent. beautiful in every sense of the word. in my opinion, Michaelangelo thought that purity is connected to youthfulness thus the young depiction of the Blessed Virgin. my second idea was the same with most of my classmates. Sir Mark was, i guess, glad. but before he dismissed the class, he told us that Michaelangelo answered this question with another question...as to what that question is, that will be our homework. (so far, this is the most enjoyable homework i've ever done! *lafs*)
artists of Michaelangelo's time noticed the young depiction of the Blessed Virgin and started questioning Michaelangelo about this. the artist answered their questions with this: "Do you not know that chaste women stay fresh much more than those who are not chaste? How much more in the case of the Virgin, who had never experienced the least lascivious desire that might change her body?"
the sculpture, made from marble, is one of the most astounding pieces made by Michaelangelo. it is the only work that he signed. (see story at wikipedia.org) the universality of the theme -- a mother who is sorrowful over a child's death or suffering -- is immediately conveyed to the viewer. even the littlest details -- the nails, folds of the fingers -- are masterfully sculpted leaving the viewer dumbfounded by the craft. but one thing dominates: Mary in Michaelangelo's Pietà looks very much younger than she should be. remember that Jesus died around 30, so Mary is supposed to look around 50. but no, Michaelangelo created a young Mary, no tears--only exhaustion and silent pain.
Sir Mark gave us time to write an essay as to why would Michaelangelo make a young picture of Mary...why he preferred to divert from reality and hide a deeper meaning to this detail...i had two ideas. which i was not quite sure of since i haven't really read much about the Pietà prior to yesterday's essay. anyway, one: i connected Mary's youthfulness to the story of Jesus's rising from the dead. i thought that this could mean rebirth. and Mary, as we all know gave birth to Jesus when she was very young. so maybe Michaelangelo wished the viewer to recall this story. two: it is a known fact that Mary, distinctively, is the Blessed Virgin...pure, chaste, innocent. beautiful in every sense of the word. in my opinion, Michaelangelo thought that purity is connected to youthfulness thus the young depiction of the Blessed Virgin. my second idea was the same with most of my classmates. Sir Mark was, i guess, glad. but before he dismissed the class, he told us that Michaelangelo answered this question with another question...as to what that question is, that will be our homework. (so far, this is the most enjoyable homework i've ever done! *lafs*)
artists of Michaelangelo's time noticed the young depiction of the Blessed Virgin and started questioning Michaelangelo about this. the artist answered their questions with this: "Do you not know that chaste women stay fresh much more than those who are not chaste? How much more in the case of the Virgin, who had never experienced the least lascivious desire that might change her body?"
Pietà
(by Michaelangelo)
* to see a bigger picture: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Michelangelo's_Pieta_5450_cropncleaned.jpg
posted by kULit at 5:56 PM
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