The Pieta'

About this artwork

The pietà—a scene of the Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Christ—was a traditional subject for sculpture in Northern Europe. Michelangelo’s sculpted Pietà of 1498 brought the composition to Italy and infused it with the idealism of classical sculpture. His contemporary, Raphael, designed this version of the scene two decades later, which was then engraved by Marcantonio Raimondi. It builds upon Michelangelo’s sculpted version but focuses on Mary’s statuesque pose and her intense expression o...