Three Pietas by Michelangelo
"Pieta" 1499 Marble. Height 174 cm. St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican
Stanislav Traykov, Niabot (cut out) - Image: Michelangelo's Pieta 5450.jpg
The plot of “Pieta” (translated from Italian pietà - pity) entered the work of Michelangelo with the order of Cardinal Jean Bilaire. This sculptural group, depicting the farewell of the Virgin Mary with her son taken down from the cross, carved from a single piece of marble, was intended for the tomb of the cardinal. Michelangelo began working on sculpture as a 23-year-old young man and of course for him Life and Death were a distant scholastic substance, connected only by memories of his mother who died at a young age and a topic often discussed in philosophical debates at the Platonic Academy, created by Marsilio Ficino, where the young sculptor was regular guest. Considering this work, assessing the level and depth of thinking of the humanities of those times, we see that for them, as for us, the main components in determining good and evil were love and mercy.
In the existing iconography of the image of Mary, we are accustomed to seeing an elderly woman suffering. But here, rather, a kind young angel appears before us, sent by God’s providence to step on the bare, sinful earth with one foot and cover it with numerous, varied folds of matter that give life. So that, by lifting the numb body of Christ, covering it with a cloak, prevent it from completely drooping and then return it to heaven again. Maria's gaze is sadly fixed on the wounds inflicted. Her other hand is thrown to the side questioningly: “for what?” The sons of men must not torment the sons of men. “Pieta” was the first work that brought the young sculptor well-deserved fame and world fame. The theme of “mourning” penetrated into him so much that later Michelangelo would return to it more than once again and again. And each new composition will have its own visual media become more concise and expressive than the previous one.
Pieta (Entombment) of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Marble. OK. 1547-1555. Florence
https://otvet.mail.ru/question/199614220
“Michelangelo’s spirit and talent could not remain idle, and since he could no longer write, he set to work on a block of marble to carve out of it four round statues, larger than the height of living people, creating a Dead Christ for his own satisfaction and pastime, and , as he himself said, because working with a hammer preserves health in his body. This Christ, taken from the cross, is held by the Mother of God, while picking him up from below, she is helped with effort by Nicodemus standing at his feet, who, in turn, is helped by one of them. Mari, seeing that the mother’s strength is drying up and that, overcome by grief, she will not be able to withstand it. You will not see a dead body like the body of Christ anywhere: falling with weakened limbs, it is completely different in its position not only from the other dead bodies he depicted, but also from all those ever depicted: the work is difficult, rare - from one piece and truly divine; and it, as will be said below, remained unfinished and suffered many hardships, although he wanted it to become his tombstone in front of the altar, where he was going to put it...
To pass the time, Michelangelo worked almost every day on that Lamentation of four figures, which has already been mentioned and which he just then broke for the following reasons: indeed, there was a lot of sandpaper in the stone and it was hard, and sparks often fell from the cutter, or perhaps that this man judged himself so strictly that he was never satisfied with what he did...
Having once visited Michelangelo in his house, where the broken Lamentation was located, he, during a long conversation, asked him why he had broken and destroyed the fruit of such wondrous labors, and he replied that the intolerable Urbino, his servant, who every day was to blame for this urged him to complete the work, and that, by the way, a piece of the Madonna’s elbow broke off there, and he hated her before, since he had to tinker with her a lot because of the crack that was in the stone, and finally it broke he had no patience, he broke it and wanted to completely break it all, if Antonio, his servant, had not advised him to give it to him as it was. Hearing this, Tiberio told Bandini about everything, who wanted to have something made by the hand of Michelangelo; then Bandini persuaded Tiberio to promise Antonio two hundred crowns of gold and himself asked Michelangelo to allow Tiberio to finish the work for Bandini based on Michelangelo’s models, whose labors would not be in vain. Michelangelo agreed and gave them this gift. The work was immediately taken away from there, and Tiberio put it together and restored I don’t know how many pieces of it, but due to the deaths of Bandini, Michelangelo and Tiberio, it remained unfinished.” Vasari.
In 1541, Michelangelo completed the fresco " Last Judgment» for the altar wall Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Work on it lasted four years. Not yet completed, the fresco was subject to harsh criticism. Some cardinals considered naked bodies with uncovered genitals inappropriate and the artist was ready to be accused of heresy. This nervous stop could not but affect my health. The strength was fading. He never returned to painting. Painting, never becoming his main muse, remained somewhere on the sidelines. During these years, Michelangelo found refuge in architecture, having been appointed chief architect of St. Peter's Basilica and his sculpture remained with him. The new pieta was intended to become a tombstone over his grave and in it he carved his double portrait and allegories of the arts in which the master had the opportunity to express himself and the role that these arts played in his life. Michelangelo endowed Nicodemus, who served as the image of the sculpture, with his own features, and in his dead naked body he captured his tormented soul. The Virgin Mary supporting this body has become a symbol of architecture. In Mary Magdalene, standing a little further away, painting was implied.
"Pieta Rondanini" (1555-1564) Marble. Sforzesco Castle in Milan
Michelangelo began Pieta Rondanini in 1555. In it, the sculptor again returned to the two-figure composition. According to the original plan, in the image of Mary, the Mother, who brought him to this world, and his Fate and Providence merged together, raising consciousness to an extraterrestrial level and now, when the appointed hour came, from this height they all laid their hands on him, looking at him, with weakening legs he feels the place of his final resting place. And according to this plan, his arms should have been outstretched and this state of them should have symbolized that his spirit, despite the fate prepared for him, was not yet ready to leave his beloved Earth. But in 1564, the Great Master passed away to another world. 6 days before his death, he was working on his last pieta. Shortly before this, he changed the position of his hands, pressing them to Maria's body. And from this rearrangement, the composition turned from a narrative one into an emotional one. The most important element was the muscles of his weakening legs. And these muscles contain everything: farewell, pain, hopelessness, and human tragedy.
Materials used.
Pieta in Italian sounds like Pietà and means sympathy, compassion. The Vatican Pieta is an iconographic scene of the Virgin Mary mourning the dead Christ. It is considered the first and most outstanding work of Michelangelo Buonarroti. Its copies are in many Catholic churches around the world, but the only original has been kept in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for more than 500 years.
Story
In 1498, the cardinal, who was the ambassador of the French king Charles VIII at the court of Pope Alexander VI Borgia, Jean Bilair de Lagrola, turned to the young Michelangelo with an interesting request. He wished to make a sculpture to decorate the Chapel of St. Petronilla in St. Peter's Cathedral, which at that time belonged to the King of France.
The deal was brokered by an influential Roman banker, and also Buonarroti's friend and patron, Jacopo Galli. It was only thanks to him that the 23-year-old sculptor received such an honor. Initially, sketches were created, assistants were hired, and marble was selected. And only then, on August 26, 1498, the contract was officially signed. The work took a year, and its cost exceeded 450 gold ducats, which was an unimaginably large fortune.
In 1499, the master completed the work, the dimensions of which were impressive - 174 × 195 × 69 cm. A year later, the sculptural group was placed in the Church of St. Peter, where it remains to this day. The pedestal for it was made by another sculptor named Francesco Borromini later - in 1626.
IN modern history A great stir around the statue arose in 1972, when it was attacked by Hungarian Laszlo Toth. He suffered from mental illness. During the attack, he shouted that he was Jesus Christ and hated this pieta. Using a hammer, he mutilated the face and hand of the figure of the Virgin Mary, then they managed to drag him away.
The statue was completely restored, and after restoration it was placed under bulletproof glass.
Art connoisseurs argue that the decision is fundamentally wrong, because now the sculpture can only be seen from a considerable distance and from one angle, which makes it impossible to fully perceive it.
However, everyone has their own opinion.
Description
Michelangelo's Pieta is distinguished by the fact that it has not a cruciform, but a conical composition. The author assumed that only this option would lead to the acquisition of internal dynamics and unite both figures together.
Despite the merging of figures, a contrast is visible between the living and the dead, male and female, naked and covered. This is felt in frozen tension, but does not interfere with admiring the statue, experiencing blissful awe.
Art critics classify the work as Quattrocento and High Renaissance, only in a special, unique sense. Italian master decided to look at the scene differently, depicting Madonna not as old, but as young, beautiful and mourning.
Some researchers believe that Michelangelo wanted to emphasize in this way that holiness and chastity preserve youth. Others are sure that through Madonna’s face he conveyed longing for his own mother, who died too early.
However, the most reliable version is that the sculptor was guided by considerations from anatomy. He thought that grief would look more expressive on a young face. However, the author did not depict Mary as drowning in grief. Her face remains amazingly beautiful, alive and fresh. Grief is read in the depth of her gestures, posture, and instinctive desire to protect her son.
Christ himself is also believably depicted. His body appears heavy, and the appearance and position of his limbs indicate rigor mortis. His lifeless face conveys the suffering he experienced and the incredible torment that Jesus experienced before his death, realizing the terrible essence of this world.
Special attention should be paid to the contrast that is created between the face and attire of the Madonna. Her head seems light and youthful, but the large, fraying folds of the dress clearly convey the girl’s spiritual and physical strength. They also serve as a kind of pedestal for the pyramidal composition, emphasizing the fracture of the body of Christ, dramatically lying on the lap of his mother.
Peculiarities
The main feature of Michelangelo's Pieta is the presence of the author's signature. This is the only work signed by him. Historians believe that he did this by overhearing the conversation of onlookers. They argued about whose hand the sculpture belonged to. Concerned about this, the master decided that he was obliged to leave an “autograph” for his descendants.
Another feature comes from the assumption of art critic Dimitrio Martinelli. He believed that in the composition there is a contrast between the horizontal and the vertical, which forms a cross. In January 2017, the hypothesis was refuted by a group of historians led by Giovanni Cisselino. Scientists have studied the Vatican archives and found indirect evidence that one of the author’s ideas lies in the reflection of the canonical triangle. This phenomenon is extremely atypical for Catholic culture, which means that the figures had nothing in common with the cross.
The lamentation of Christ is also different in proportions. Scientists have calculated that if the figures are placed upright, Jesus’ height will be no less than 175 cm, and the Madonna’s height will be approximately 205 cm. Such proportions are necessary so that the sculpture does not lose balance.
In addition, if you look closely, it becomes clear that Mary's head is much larger than her son's head. It is clear that it is larger than Christ in size, but the head especially stands out. Art critics believe that Buonarroti resorted to this technique in order to achieve the ease with which the Madonna holds the adult Jesus in her arms. The Virgin Mary is very massive, which attracts attention. But her cute features soften the effect.
The incredible detail of the composition is also striking. The master had a special technique and was able to identify anatomical details, which gave his masterpieces a refined naturalness. This statue has become the most strong work Italian sculptor, because it was in it that he was able to convey human suffering, sorrow, and love with such clarity and at the same time tenderness.
Useful information
Michelangelo's Pietà is located to the right of the entrance. You can look at it for free, you just need to pay for the entrance to the temple itself.
The ticket price depends on how you want to take the tour. A full 551-step walk up to the church costs 6 euros, 320 steps and then an elevator costs 8 euros. Children under 12 years old go free of charge. The cost is indicated for a tourist from a group, while an individual ticket costs about 13 euros.
The most convenient way to get to the cathedral is by metro. The nearest station is Ottaviano on the red line. Coming out of the metro, you need to turn left and walk 10-15 minutes along the street called Via Ottaviano. It abuts the square and St. Peter's Cathedral itself.
If you wish, you can walk from some attractions. The journey from the famous Trevi Fountain or Piazza di Spagna will take no more than 30 minutes. But the promenade will definitely be remembered, because along the way you will come across a lot of interesting tourist places.
Contacts
The exact address of the cathedral: Piazza San Pietro.
Opening hours: during the summer period, which lasts from April 1 to September 30 - from 07:00 to 19:00. During the winter period from October 1 to March 31, the doors of the temple are open to tourists from 07:00 to 18:30.
Official website of the Vatican: vatican.va
Michelangelo is the greatest artist and sculptor who left an amazing cultural legacy for future generations. Among the creator's contemporaries, art connoisseurs, and ordinary tourists, a unique creation—Michelangelo's Pietà—is of great interest. The sculptural composition is located in the Vatican, in the Church of St. Peter. The creation of the great master has become a symbol of compassion and pity for all believing people.
Description and symbolic meaning
Michelangelo's Pieta is a sculpture that personifies all the sorrow, the grief of a mother who has lost her child. The masterpiece is made of light marble, and the master chose a solid block for the work. This emphasizes the author’s desire to create a pure, sincere work. The sculpture has a pyramidal shape, but it will not be possible to examine the masterpiece from all sides, since the back part is hidden from view by the wall of the cathedral.
The mournful image is based on biblical events. The sculpture depicts the Virgin Mary, exhausted from grief, bending over her crucified son. A grieving mother holds Christ in her arms in a position characteristic of feeding infants. Great sculptor cut off everything unnecessary from the marble block and gave the believing world an image of true sorrow, compassion, hopelessness, tragedy.
It is amazing how realistically the creator was able to convey all the nuances of the tragic plot. They are manifested in the smallest details: the face of the Mother of God distorted by grief, the marks of the crucifixion on her hands, the pierced ribs of Christ, the aimless look of Mary and the silent question in her eyes. The woman's head and body are covered with coarse fabric with a lot of kinks and folds. Some experts say that in this way the master tried to convey the brokenness, exhaustion of the mother’s soul, and the irreplaceability of the loss of a child.
As in many other works, Saint Mary is depicted as a young girl, although her age at that time would have been about 50 years old. There are no wrinkles on her face, the woman has a thin figure, smooth hands, elastic skin. Researchers explain this fact as follows. According to biblical stories, Christ was born of Mary from the Holy Spirit. Although the woman subsequently had more children from earthly men, for believers she remained a symbol of a pure, bright, untouched girl. Therefore, during the Renaissance, all creations depicted the Mother of God as a symbol of youth, purity, and spirituality.
Michelangelo managed to create grandiose sculpture both from the point of view of the professionalism of the sculptor, and from the point of view of the emotional fullness of the creation.
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How the masterpiece was created
The biblical story of the inexplicable resurrection of Jesus has always interested sculptors, artists, and writers. It is not surprising that this event became the basis for the creation of the great Michelangelo Buonarroti of his main sculptural creation. Most sculptors of that time categorically did not believe that an unknown “talent” could create a composition worthy of becoming a symbol of the Christian religion for centuries.
Michelangelo created the Pieta (by the way, from Italian “pity, sorrow, mercy”) to order for the influential statesman J. de Lagrol. He served as ambassador to the court of the Pope. The sculpture was planned to be installed in the church that the cardinal chose for himself as a burial vault. The chapel belonged to the French Christian community. The banker J. Galli contributed to the fact that the cardinal chose the then little-known Michelangelo to create the sculpture. This banker and public figure was Buonarroti's patron and helped him realize his talent.
Through the efforts of J. Galli, in May 1498, a contract was concluded between Buonarroti and J. de Lagrola for the execution of biblical sculpture. Work on the future masterpiece began the very next day after the contract was signed, because the influential patron promised that the composition would be ready within a year. Michelangelo, along with his assistants, went to the quarries in Carrara to personally select a block for the future creation. The master searched for a long time and, finally, a smooth, flesh-colored block without cracks, roughness, or bright inclusions appeared before his gaze. The auxiliary workers helped deliver the marble block to the sculptor’s workshop, where work was taking place to create a world-class sculptural masterpiece. Skillful hands the author easily cut off the extra pieces of marble, I present to the world the stunning image of the grieving Mother.
Work on the sculpture took a little longer than the author expected. However, after the official presentation, no one could deny the fact that the work was a masterpiece. The sculpture became the most beautiful marble creation of the Renaissance in Rome. This fact is confirmed by numerous copies of the sculptural composition, which today are made for wealthy private clients, museums, and churches.
Destruction and restoration
The sculptural composition was transported more than once, so the faces of the Saints had minor damage. Regular restoration work helped smooth out all the chips, scratches, and cracks. Thanks to this, the masterpiece can still be seen today, almost in its original form.
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The cultural heritage was almost lost in 1972 when the sculptural composition was vandalized. The mentally ill geologist Laszlo Toth, imagining himself as one of the material incarnations of Jesus, violated the sculpture. The distraught geologist used a hammer to knock off more than 5 dozen marble pieces from the sculpture. As a result of his actions, the face of the Mother of God was damaged, part of Christ’s hand was broken off, and the cape that covered the woman’s body was broken off.
Most of the broken pieces of marble were found and used to restore the sculptural masterpiece. To restore the missing elements, restorers used marble with back side sculptures. The professional approach of the restorers made it possible to completely restore the sculpture, making the marble inclusions from the background of the sculpture as invisible as possible. Restoration work lasted more than 9 months, and only at the end of 1973 were pilgrims again able to enjoy the world masterpiece.
The vandal was captured and convicted by the head of the Vatican for damaging cultural heritage. And Michelangelo's sculpture has been under reliable protection in the main church of the Vatican. The sculptural composition rises above the heads of tourists and pilgrims, and for greater safety is surrounded by acrylic tempered glass.
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Interesting facts about Michelangelo's Pietà
There are many embarrassments associated with a work of genius, interesting stories, which few people know about. For example, for true connoisseurs of sculptural art the following facts may be interesting:
- Marble Pieta – the only sculpture master, on which his autograph is located. Biographers and art critics say that the reason for this was the undying debate among envious people about the authenticity of the creation and the authorship of Buonarroti. The master secretly remained in the chapel where the Pieta was presented and wrote his name on Mary’s sling. Since the Roman sculptor was illiterate, he made a mistake in the name, which became the hallmark of the work. And today no one dares to correct this mistake, so as not to violate the integrity and uniqueness of the composition;
- Initially, the sculptural composition consisted of two elements - the grieving Mother and the dead Son in her arms. The base on which the sculpture is now located was created more than a hundred years later by F. Barromini;
- Michelangelo's work was perceived as a true world masterpiece, so the Italians could not ignore the sculpture. The creation was recognized as a "national cultural treasure" and transported to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome at the end of the 18th century. Authentic sculpture and can still be seen today in the main church of the Vatican;
- Naturalness and naturalness are the main criteria that the master tried to achieve when fulfilling the order of the French cardinal. These characteristics are reflected in the “growth” of the sculpture. Thus, according to experts, the height of Jesus is about 175 cm, Mary - 168 cm. The dimensions of the statue (without base) correspond to the specified parameters (174, 195, 69 cm);
- A serious scandal erupted around the youth of the Virgin Mary. Renaissance sculptors said that the grieving mother is depicted too young. Michelangelo rebuffed the attacks, stating that virgins retain their youthful beauty much longer.
Despite the numerous controversies surrounding the Pieta, one thing is certain: sculptural masterpiece, which has been imprinted in the history of world art for centuries.
This is the most famous and most recognizable in the world sculpture on a religious theme. Michelangelo sculpted this masterpiece when he was 24 years old. This is the only sculpture on which he put his name. She makes an indelible impression on everyone with her beauty.
Michelangelo born in Caprese in 1475, and raised and educated in Florence under the patronage of the Medici family. Its worldwide famous works – « Pieta» (« Lamentation of Christ»), « David"and exciting frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
As an artist, Michelangelo was an unrivaled creator of works of sublime beauty that express the entire spectrum human existence. He left immortal works in sculpture, painting, architecture and poetry. Thanks to his vast and multifaceted abilities, Michelangelo left an indelible mark on world culture. No other artist has ever achieved so much high level mastery in all four areas of artistic creativity.
Although the frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican are probably Michelangelo's most famous work today, the artist considered himself primarily a sculptor. Michelangelo sculpted marble sculptures all his life, while in other types of art he showed himself only in certain periods.
The sculpture, 174 cm high, is made of Carrara marble. Michelangelo chose his career for a long time and meticulously marble block, because he believed that the sculpture already lives in a piece of marble and it needs to be extracted from there.
“La pieta” in Italian means compassion or pity, but they hardly express the mother’s feelings. In our country the sculpture is known as “Lamentation of Christ”.
During the years of ministry, Christ did not often visit his mother Mary. He preached and healed, and devoted himself entirely to his mission. However, we know that the love between mother and son was constant and unchanging. From beginning to end, the Virgin Mary was always confident in the powers of Jesus Christ, and surrounded him with tender care. One of Jesus' last thoughts was to care for his mother. On the terrible day of the crucifixion Virgin Mary, her sister and Mary Magdalene came to Golgotha. Christ saw them and turned to his disciple to take care of his mother.
(mp4)Pieta-Michelangelo(/mp4)
We can imagine the mother's agony as her son suffered this cruel and shameful death. He lived and did good, and now he dies like an innocent victim.
We can imagine that after being taken down from the cross, everyone moved away to leave mother and son alone for a moment. It was this moment that the great Michelangelo depicted in the sculpture “Pieta”.
Years pass, Mary again holds him in her lap, just as she did when he was a baby. All the maternal tenderness that had accumulated in her heart was now overflowing. If sometimes she felt a little lonely because her son did not need her care, then in this moment of loss, Maria forgets about it. He is still her child.
On the mother's lap lies the slender, young figure of the dead Jesus Christ. The head is thrown back, the body is in a relaxed state of death. Suffering left no traces on his face. Wounds on his arms and legs and wounds on his side are the only signs of his crucifixion.
The mother seems to find comfort in looking at her son. Perhaps his death revealed the meaning of his life. If this is so, Mary need not be upset. He has finished the work he was destined to do, and death is the beginning of immortality. This is how grief goes away. She is proud of her son again. The hope with which Mary had not parted since the birth of Christ was fulfilled.
The Pieta sculpture has a pyramidal structure, and the top coincides with the head of Mary. The statue expands gradually downwards behind Mary's robe. Most of Mary's body is hidden by her monumental drapery, and outwardly appears quite natural. The proportions are quite well executed and the body of the adult Christ naturally, as in a cradle, lies on the lap of Mary.
It is said that Michelangelo was criticized for depicting the Virgin Mary too young, as she, in fact, must have been around 45-50 years old when Jesus died. Michelangelo replied that he did this on purpose, since time could not spoil the virgin freshness of this most blessed woman. He also said he was thinking about his mother's face. He was only five years old when she died: his mother's face is a symbol of eternal youth.
(mp4)Pieta-Ave_Maria(/mp4)
Michelangelo was immensely proud of his masterpiece when the sculpture was put on public display in 1499. To his horror, he overheard a group of people attributing the work to another sculptor. He lost his temper and, sneaking into the church when no one saw him, carved the following words on the belt that crosses Mary’s chest: "MICHAELAGELUS BONAROTUS FLORENTIN FACIEBA" ("Michelangelo Buonarroti the Florentine did it"). He later regretted his outburst of pride and vowed never to sign another work.
Over the next 500 years sculpture repeatedly moved from place to place. There was some damage.
In 1736, 4 fingers on Mary’s left hand, which were broken off during the transfer, were restored.
In the 60s of the twentieth century, an X-ray study of the sculpture was carried out and it turned out that the left hand of the Virgin Mary was broken off and skillfully attached back, somewhere in the 17-18th century. No mention of this and the author of this work could not be found.
But the most big damage applied to the sculpture in 1972. On a church holiday on May 21, mentally deranged geologist Laszlo Toth jumped over the railing and struck the sculpture 15 times with a hammer. His left hand was broken and his fingers were broken when he fell. Damage was caused to the head, eyelids, neck, and clothing. The nose was chipped. Laszlo Toth claimed that he was Jesus Christ, and that Mary could not look at everything, like his mother. More than 50 fragments were collected; several fragments were returned by spectators who happened to be at the crime scene at that time. Several fragments could not be found. They were reconstructed from pieces cut from inconspicuous places.
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Following the attack, Michelangelo Buonarroti's Pieta sculpture was painstakingly restored and returned to its place in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, and is now protected by bulletproof acrylic glass.
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Article: "Sculpture of Italy of the 16th century"
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Translated from Italian, Pietà means “compassion, sorrow, pity, sympathy.” The plot of this iconographic sculpture is not mentioned in the 4 texts of the Gospel, nor is it in the apocrypha. But in Catholicism, the Pieta of the great master is one of the most powerful images in terms of its impact on the minds and hearts of believers.
Michelangelo's Pieta is a pyramidal sculptural composition carved from a single block of light marble. The master’s hand cut off everything unnecessary, and a stunning image of a grieving mother who had lost her son appeared to the world. The sculpture is behind armored glass, it cannot be viewed from all sides. But there is something about it that attracts the curious glances of tourists and generates special feelings among those who believe in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
In the 14th century, veneration of the sorrows of the Virgin Mary arose in Christianity, which was reflected in European art of that time. On the ribs and hands of the lifeless Jesus there are traces of wounds after Calvary. It is amazing how the young man managed to express the whole tragedy of what happened in the figure of Saint Mary holding her deceased Son in her arms.
The integral image of the sculptural composition by Michelangelo Buonarroti conveys the full depth of the tragedy of the Mother of God grieving over the body of Christ.
The right hand holds the body in a position familiar to women - this is how babies are breastfed. But he is a mature man, and his head falls from his mother's shoulder. The left hand seems to be asking - this is a silent question, the bewilderment expressed by the fingers of a grieving mother about the purposeless death of the sinless Christ. The cape on the head is carelessly folded, small folds of fabric reveal the forehead and the last look of the Mother of God as much as possible.
Mary looks in amazement not at the face of Jesus, but at the pierced ribs and hand, trying to capture the smallest details before giving His body for burial. Art critics associate fractures of rough fabric with fractures of the soul - from irreparable loss. Her face is not distorted by a grimace of grief, there is a feeling that this is all already behind her, there is only one last look at the figure of the Son and an understanding of what is happening. Perhaps the sculptor wanted to convey her memory of the prophecy of Christ, who promised to resurrect on the 3rd day. Or maybe this is what humility looks like – mute indifference because nothing can be fixed?
On his mother’s lap is the lifeless body of 33-year-old Christ. The face does not express the suffering He endured, the head is thrown back, the whole figure is relaxed, but is held by Mary. Hands and feet - with marks from nails after the crucifixion. Jesus' ribs were pierced on the cross after His death, before He was taken down by Roman soldiers (as Holy Scripture says).
The figures of the characters from the biblical story are made in full height. Realism is also expressed in the obvious signs of the crucifixion and the mournful and humble face of Mary.
The Mother of Christ is depicted young, without deep age wrinkles, although she was about 50 years old at the time of the crucifixion of the Firstborn. Theological canons were violated, but art historians insist on the idea that during the Renaissance it was customary to depict purity of soul and spirituality Immaculate Virgin. The Most Holy Mary, as we know, conceived Christ from the Holy Spirit, according to the prophecies. After Jesus was born, he and Joseph had other children conceived naturally. But in Christianity it is customary to speak of her as the Most Pure and Holy Virgin Mary, the Mother of God and Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is why all paintings and sculptures depict her as a young and pretty virgin.
The work was protracted and painstaking; few people believed that the unknown 24-year-old artist and aspiring sculptor would cope with such a task. But the result exceeded all expectations - no one could surpass this masterpiece by Michelangelo, both in aesthetics and in the power of emotional embodiment.
Michelangelo Buonarroti was asked the question: “How do you manage to do this - not make a single mistake, because this is stone, not clay?” The master replied: “Nothing complicated, I keep a perfect image in my mind and cut off everything unnecessary from a block of marble!”
Destruction of a masterpiece and its restoration
One of the most famous statues was damaged several times - during transportation and attack by a crazy vandal. In 1972, the statue was damaged with a hammer by an obsessed Hungarian, Laszlo Toth (a geologist working in Australia), who imagined himself to be one of the incarnations of Christ. With a rock hammer, he beat off about 50 pieces of marble until security grabbed him and handed him over to the police.
The face of the Virgin Mary was damaged by an act of vandalism, part of the nose and veil, as well as the hand of Christ, were broken off. Some of the pieces were lost, but many were immediately returned to the temple servants by tourists and eyewitnesses. After restoration, it regained its original appearance, although the lost fragments were cut out from unimportant areas of the sculpture in the background.
Spectral analysis showed that a couple of centuries ago, part of Mary’s left arm (up to the elbow) was broken off, but was perfectly restored. During one of the recent transportations, 4 fingers of the left hand were broken off, but restoration work corrected this flaw.
Since then, the Pieta sculpture has been reliably protected from unbalanced visitors by tempered glass. And the madman was captured and handed over to the authorities. Italian restorers have done everything possible to make Michelangelo Buonarroti's Pieta, exhibited in St. Peter's Basilica (Vatican), look like new. The composition is illuminated on a raised platform so that it can be clearly seen behind the acrylic glass by pilgrims and numerous tourists of the main Vatican temple.
History of the creation of Pietà
Interest in biblical story the time between the crucifixion of Jesus and his miraculous resurrection has long worried the minds of Christians of different denominations. Since the time of Gothic sculpture and art, the masters of Italy in other neighboring countries European countries they sang the mournful image of Mary who had lost her Firstborn. Surely Perugino’s paintings “The Lamentation of Christ” (1493-94, now in Florence) and Botticelli’s “Pieta” (1495) encouraged many followers to reflect this tragic scene in stone and on canvas.
No one believed in Michelangelo's success, but he not only coped with the task perfectly, but also surpassed his talented teachers. His Pieta not only made him famous; soon Italy and France, where the work was supposed to go, started talking about his work.
But in religious and bohemian circles, not everyone could accept that an unknown but capable young man was capable of making a significant contribution to art and surpassing the masterpieces of Antiquity and. He partially violated the canons, in some ways he used the successful findings of his predecessors, but abandoned the minor figures of “eyewitnesses”.
The Pietà was created for Cardinal Jean Billaire de Lagrol, who served as the French ambassador to the court of Pope Alexander VI Borgia during the time of Charles VIII. The marble composition was intended for the chapel of St. Petronilla, which belonged to the French community. It is unlikely that the young sculptor could receive a serious order, but an influential patrician, the Roman banker Jacopo Galli, patron of Michelangelo’s talent, vouched for him.
Every effort had to be made to justify the highest trust and earn a generous fee of 450 gold ducats.
The agreement was concluded on May 26, 1498, and the sculptor went to Carrara to pick up a block of marble with auxiliary workers, who undertook to deliver the material to the work site. Galli guaranteed to the customer that within a year Michelangelo's Pieta would appear to the eyes of skeptics and envious people. It took longer to work, but the bet was won that the mournful sculpture would become the most beautiful marble creation in Rome.
The fact of recognition of the masterpiece is confirmed by multiple copies around the world. Some handicraft workshops make crude fakes for wealthy customers who want to see the Pieta in their garden, near a fountain, or among sculptural copies of world masterpieces.
The only signed work by Michelangelo
“The Lamentation of Christ” is one of the most beloved works of the great Michelangelo. Having completed it, the sculptor left for, but eyewitnesses testified that at each opportunity he visited his greatest creation in Rome. No one knew whether he was attracted by the aesthetics of his own masterpiece or the depth of the image with the delightful contrast of the living and dead body...
Michelangelo, as his contemporaries argued, lived as an ascetic, was laconic, never entered into disputes, and did not defend his authorship, which was often questioned. It was probably difficult for an outside observer to recognize the genius of the young sculptor. And mediocre envious people could not agree that his hands carved an inimitable masterpiece out of stone, recognized as a standard.
This unsigned creation gave rise to a curious incident - Michelangelo did not leave signatures on his creations. And an autograph was left on the Pieta, and even with a mistake!
While visiting his statue, Michelangelo, pretending to be an outsider, observed how observers reacted to his work of art. And then he overheard a lively argument between two onlookers who denied the authorship of Buonarroti. One of them defended the version that only the Milanese sculptor Gobbo could have carved it in stone. Grand Master did not argue with his ignorant compatriots, deciding to perpetuate the authenticity of his masterpiece with an autograph on Maria’s sling. This was told to the world by (Giorgio Vasari), a poet and biographer of several Italian artists.
The intention was so firm that Michelangelo decided to stay overnight in the basilica, where his sculptural composition stood, and carve his name on the marble. However, the “poor artist” was semi-literate, so he made a mistake in writing his name. No one has fixed it yet:
"MICHILANGELO BUONARROTI THE FLORENTINE PERFORMED"
No one dared to correct the incorrect 4th letter, violating the integrity of the autograph, although marble is a soft stone. The sculptor personally chose a block of pure rock, almost without inclusions or cracks, after going to the Karara quarries. His efforts and efforts paid off - the magnificent flesh-colored statue exceeded all expectations.
Although the customer did not live to see the masterpiece completed, rumors of an excellent creation quickly spread throughout Rome. Soon all of Italy was talking about Michelangelo Buonarroti's Pietà, and many were in a hurry to see it. The ingenious specimen was awarded the most honorable place in the Vatican - St. Peter's Basilica. And teachers obliged young sculptors to examine it as a role model.
Another autograph of the great master has survived to this day, although most of the sketches and works were destroyed by him with his own hand, as “far from perfect.” At the Sotheby’s auction, 30 historical documents with celebrity autographs went under the hammer, including Michelangelo’s signature from 1521 - a contract to pay for the work of 2 sculptors. They helped Buonarroti work on the statue of Christ in the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome. But that masterpiece remained unsigned.
You can see the statue of Christ during an individual tour at dawn.
- The plot of the grieving Mary over the body of Jesus Christ taken from the cross is not new; her wounds were reflected in the canvases and sculptures of masters Early Renaissance. The power of the tragedy of these works most likely prompted Michelangelo Buonarroti to work, who decided to do everything a little differently.
- The difficult task is to connect into a common sculptural composition 2 full-length figures, without violating the proportions, but the master did a brilliant job. It is worth remembering that this is marble, and the multi-ton block had to maintain balance after work.
- Naturalism is expressed in the growth of the Pieta figures. Experts have calculated that Christ's height (if He had risen) would have been about 175 cm, Mary's - a little more. But this is natural for the composition of the grieving Mother with her Son in her arms.
- The figures of the famous composition were carved from marble for a cardinal from France. Such a masterpiece could not be left unknown. He was announced " national treasure"Italians and a "role model", therefore they were transferred to the Vatican in the 18th century.
- The dimensions of the multi-ton sculpture are 174x195x69cm. The base for the pieta was made in 1626. This is the only work by Michelangelo where his signature appears (on the sling of the Virgin), since even before completion there were disputes about authorship and its authenticity.
Where is it located, how to see the work of the great master
Michelangelo's Pieta is on display behind bulletproof glass in the Vatican's main religious building, St. Peter's Basilica.
Access is free, immediately at the entrance on the right in the first chapel. But she is located at some distance from those present, visible only from the front angle.
The cathedral is open daily from 7:00 to 18:30. It is always crowded here, and in order to take a closer look at the masterpiece, many prudent tourists rush to the opening, and the most inquisitive ones attend the author’s excursion.