Pietà: Christ supported by the Virgin and an angel at the right
Original title: Pietà: Christ supported by the Virgin and an angel at the right
kurzbeschreibung
Agostino Carracci engraved this Pietà in 1582: the lifeless Christ is held by Mary and an angel. The print measures 39.5 by 28.5 centimetres.
Description
A loincloth is all Christ wears, and his body rests on a cloth spread out on the ground. Mary gathers the dead man from the left; on the right a winged angel takes hold beneath his arm and lays a hand on his shoulder. Trees and foliage close off the top of the image, while the crown of thorns and stones lie scattered below. Firm contours and fine hatching give the figures their volume.
Context
The print was made in Bologna in 1582, during Carracci's early years. It belongs among the devotional images produced around the Carracci academy. The Pietà was already well established in the visual tradition of the Italian Renaissance, and this engraving follows that iconography.
Impact
Quiet, composed grief sets the tone, carried by the balanced arrangement of the figures. Evenly distributed light and careful linework create an intimate, gathering mood.
Technique
A burin cut the lines into a metal plate, from which the sheet was pulled. Hatching and crossed layers produce graduated tones, giving bodies and drapery a soft modelling.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)