Art Lovers discussion

The Pietà is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus, most often found in sculpture. As such, it is a particular form of the Lamentation of Christ, a scene from the Passion of Christ found in cycles of the Life of Christ. When Christ and the Virgin are surrounded by other figures from the New Testament, the subject is strictly called a Lamentation in English, although Pietà is often used for this as well, and is the normal term in Italian.


Pieta by Michelangelo BUONAROTTI



Pieta by Adolphe William Bouguereau




Pieta by Vincent van Gogh




Pietà by Max Ernst



Pieta by David LaChapelle





Pietà by Sam Taylor Wood

I still remember viewing Michelangelo's Pieta at the Vatican building at the New York Worlds Fair back in the 1960's. It was incredibly beautiful. Pictures do not fully show the sorrow that was present in Mary's face. The folds in the drapery are gorgeous, and the body of the dead Christ is heavy and lifeless.
I was very young then, but was beginning to see the power of beautiful art.

Thank you for posting this, Amalie.

These are great, Amalie. The research and demonstration of the various Pietas is interesting. It's almost all in the interpretation as I can see a distinct progression from the time of Michelangelo toward the more modern art of today.
Yes, thank you for posting these!

P.S. I didn't know van Gogh did a Pieta.

I didn't know van Gogh had one either till I found it. The brilliant man had some how managed to capture everything.

What do you think about David LaChapelle's version? I think it's amazing! There are many stories in it. But some got pretty upset about it.

Pieta by Michelangelo is still my all-time favorite. It is nice to see it done by the other artists. There own interpretations sparks interests in differing groups of people.

This is very interesting. Thank you, Amalie. I remembered the Van Gogh Pieta. It's so easy to forget it because he had more famous work. I love the David LaChapelle one because we know the media details about the couple. Or is he saying there's a bit of Madonna even in the most problematic of women, and a bit of suffering and sacrificial Jesus Christ in all of us? Basically, there is sainthood in all of us? It seems to me it's tongue in cheek. And what about the phrase "Heaven to Hell"? Is he saying their fall from glory of fame to the hell of drug addiction?

All of that interpretation would be my belief, BTW. There is a godliness in all of us, even amidst our awkwardness and problems in life. That's why I like that piece. It expressed all of that.

Delacroix Pieta

I believe this was the version Van Gogh had in mind when he did his.

Ed wrote: " Delacroix Pieta. I believe this was the version Van Gogh had in mind when he did his."

This I didn't know. Thanks Ed.

Aloha wrote: "This is very interesting. Thank you, Amalie. I remembered the Van Gogh Pieta. It's so easy to forget it because he had more famous work. I love the David LaChapelle one because we know the medi..."

Nice reading on LaChapelle's Pieta. I never thought it that way but it's really good! That's one thing about art. I read it as the sorrow of a mother at losing her son. Whether that woman is a saint or not, her suffering is not in anyway least to what Virgin Mary might've felt. So any woman can be related to her. A loss of a child/son to a mother is a heaven turning to a hell.

All of these artists emphasizes on the grief of the mother. I'm sure almost all of you are aware that in Michelangelo's Pieta, figures are quite out of proportion, a fully-grown man cradled full-length in a woman's lap. I think he was also focusing on motherly love.

Then the virgin Mary is a young woman rather than a older woman with a son in his thirties.
Is it true that the Christ's figure is missing a limb?

Connie wrote: "I still remember viewing Michelangelo's Pieta at the Vatican building at the New York Worlds Fair back in the 1960's. It was incredibly beautiful. Pictures do not fully show the sorrow that was pre..."

I saw it there too! I actually went through a second time even though the waits were very long! - )

Amalie wrote: "I didn't know van Gogh had one either till I found it. The brilliant man had some how managed to capture everything.

What do you think about David LaChapelle's version? I think it's amazing! Ther..."

I had never seen the Van Goth either! - )