Pietà
Original title: Pietà
kurzbeschreibung
This mid-16th-century gilt bronze represents the Pietà: Mary holding the body of Christ on her lap. The work is attributed to Michelangelo Buonarroti and measures 16.8 cm in height in a rectangular format.
Description
Within a deep, architecturally framed niche, Mary sits with the dead Jesus on her lap. Above the niche hovers another figure, which can be understood as an angel. Ornaments and figures decorate the sides and the lower edge of the statuette. Gold and bronze determine the colouring, with gold predominating and the bronze tone emerging in the decorations and the niche. Even light emphasises the details and the relief structure.
Context
The Pietà is one of the central themes of Christian iconography and was often realised in the Renaissance. Michelangelo created several versions, including the famous marble sculpture in St Peter's Basilica. This bronze statuette was made in the mid-16th century, when small-format devotional images for private collections and house altars were in demand. The attribution to Michelangelo is not clearly established, yet stylistically the work fits into his circle.
Impact
The gilding gives the statuette a precious and at the same time sacred aura that invites devotion. The careful elaboration of the figures and ornaments produces an intimate yet sublime presence, characteristic of Renaissance bronzes.
Technique
The statuette was cast in bronze and subsequently gilded. For the gilding, fire gilding is probably the method used, in which a gold amalgam solution is applied and heated. The precise details of the figures and ornaments point to careful modelling and a high-quality cast.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)