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Question

How did the Pieta by Michelangelo depict life in the Renaissance?

Answer 1

Michelangelo's interpretation of the Pietà is unique to the precedents. It is an important work as it balances the Renaissance ideals of classical beauty with naturalism. The statue is one of the most highly finished

While there was a precedent for painted depictions of the Virgin lamenting over the dead Christ in Florentine art, the subject appears to have been novel to Italian sculpture. There was, however, a tradition of sculptured pietàs in Northern art, particularly in the Cardinal's native France. In addition, the church of San Domenico in Bologna had a German sculpted pietà. This has led some to believe that the donor had these statues in mind when the work was commissioned.

The Italian Renaissance has several characteristics: re-connection with classical antiquity, the rise of Renaissance humanism, the emergence of Italian courtly power, the development of perspective, the radical change in the style and substance of the arts and architecture, and the rise of the power of the papacy, among others. Because of the nature of these changes, the Italian Renaissance has sometimes been seen as the beginning of the Modern Age, and has thus also been sometimes labeled the Early Modern.

Sculpture was also revived, in many cases before the other arts. There was a very obvious classicism about contemporary sculpture, and highly true-to-life figures were being sculpted. Often biblically-themed sculpture and paintings included recognizable Florentines.

The term "pieta" originated from a custom of the Roman Empire around the time of 64 C.E., referring to the act of prostrating oneself, and putting forth an "Emotion...of great love accompanied with revering fear....of the [Roman] Gods."

The Madonna is represented as being very young, and about this peculiarity there are different interpretations. One is that her youth symbolizes her incorruptible purity, as Michelangelo himself said to his biographer and fellow sculptor Ascanio Condivi:

Another explanation suggests that Michelangelo's treatment of the subject was influenced by his passion for Dante's Divina Commedia: so well-acquainted was he with the work that when he went to Bologna he paid for hospitality by reciting verses from it. In Paradiso (cantica 33 of the poem) Saint Bernard, in a prayer for the Virgin Mary, says "Vergine madre, figlia del tuo figlio" (Virgin mother, daughter of your son). This is said because, being that Christ is one of the three figures of Trinity, Mary should be his daughter, like all of humanity is, but is also his mother.

A third interpretation is that suggested by Condivi shortly after the passage quoted above: simply that "such freshness and flower of youth, besides being maintained in by natural means, were assisted by act of God".

Yet another exposition posits that the viewer is actually looking at an image of Mary holding the baby Jesus. Mary's youthful appearance and apparently serene facial expression, coupled with the position of the arms could suggest that she is seeing her child, while the viewer is seeing an image of the future

Interpreting the sculpture in terms of its name, one might trace the origin: "The duty children owed their parents, termed pietas, was associated by Romans with the duty humans owed their gods" (James S. Jeffers, The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era: Exploring the Background of Early Christianity, Downers Grove, Ill.

While there was a precedent for painted depictions of the Virgin lamenting over the dead Christ in Florentine art, the subject appears to have been novel to Italian sculpture. There was, however, a tradition of sculptured pietàs in Northern art, particularly in the Cardinal's native France. In addition, the church of San Domenico in Bologna had a German sculpted pietà. This has led some to believe that the donor had these statues in mind when the work was commissioned
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piet%C3%A0
http://www.michelangelo.com/buonarroti.html
http://www.hlla.com/reference/mb-bio.html
http://www.artchive.com/artchive/M/michelangelo.html
http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/bio/m/michelan/biograph.html
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/michelangelo_buonarroti.html
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761560125/Michelangelo.html
Pieta

In this group, completed in 1499, Michelangelo, in his attempt towards an absolute and perfect fusion of Beauty, composed elements of figurative culture in the more classical finishing touches, Dutch naturalistic and psychological illusions, grace composed of Florentine rhythmic classicism, a rising muddle of Verrocchio and Ferrari-style drapes.
http://www.thais.it/scultura/michelan.htm
Hope this helps with your studies,
Cheers!

Answer 2

Don't quote me--this is just a thought. During the Renaissance, artists, including Michelangelo, were usually under the patronage of the RC church. That's why so much of the art (almost all of it) of that period has religious subject matter. The artists of that time attempted to evoke piety and adoration from those who viewed their works.

The Pieta is indeed a beautiful work of art as is everything that Michelangelo did. It calls to mind sorrowful grief and sacrifice, a mother offering her son to a world full of sinners. It is much more emotional than most religious iconography.

This probably doesn't help you much. These are just my thoughts, and probably nothing that you haven't already thought of.

Answer 3

Michelangelo was doing a commission work when he carved the Pieta.

You will notice the features are Roman when you look at the race depicted in the sculpture.

This was paid for by Romans for the church. They wanted to depict Christ as being like themselves. The fact that Christ was from a different race is deliberately overlooked.

Answer 4

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