Today's visit to St. Peter's Basilica was very informative, because we were able to go more in depth about various aspects of the design and artwork. My favorite part was Michelangelo's statue, Pieta, which is just inside the Basilica. I thought it was amazing how he knew he had to portray mercy while using the hard marble, since this is a scene of Mary mourning Jesus' death. She looks as if she is accepting of his death, seeing it as God's will. Jesus also looks calm, which is different from many of the violent portrayals of the crucifixion from earlier periods. This is not an image of two people suffering. Instead, it is an acceptance of fate, and peacefulness in a time of hardship. This statue was originally in Constantine's Basilica, and was moved to the new one after its completion. I think it is a shame that people tried to ruin part of it, which is the reason it's behind glass now. Beauty should be appreciated and not hidden away.
This statue relates to what we learned in class before coming to Rome, because it shows a shift towards portraying humans realistically (even though Mary is very disproportionate) and away from showing all of the bloody wounds of Jesus' dead body. Medieval art was all very focused on the graphic portrayal of Jesus' wounds and pain. They wanted to imitate Jesus' life, and part of that life was suffering in the name of God. This is also when the Stations of the Cross became popular (page 266). Additionally, the textbook points out that the art of the Renaissance period was more focused on humans and classical forms (page 314). I'm excited to compare the talent of Michelangelo at this young age (he was only 24 when he finished this statue) to the work he did in the Sistine Chapel (about 13 years later) when we go visit it tomorrow.
Michelangelo's Pieta
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