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{{Short description|Artistic subject of the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus}}
{{Other uses}}
[[File:Michelangelo's Pieta 5450 cropncleaned edit.jpg|thumb|[[Michelangelo Buonarotti]]'s ''[[Pietà (Michelangelo)|Pietà]]'' in [[Saint Peter's Basilica]], 1498–1499. Crowned by the Pontifical decree of [[Pope Urban VIII]] in 1637. ]]

The '''Pietà''' ({{IPA|it|pjeˈta}}; meaning "[[pity]]", "compassion") is a subject in [[Christian art]] depicting the [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Blessed Virgin Mary]] cradling the mortal body of [[Jesus Christ]] after his [[Descent from the Cross]]. It is most often found in [[sculpture]]. The Pietà is a specific form of the [[Lamentation of Christ]] in which Jesus is mourned by the Virgin Mary alone. However, in practice works called a ''Pietà'' may include angels, the other figures usual in ''Lamentations'', and even [[donor portrait]]s.<ref>[[Peter Murray (art historian)|Murray, Peter and Linda]], ''The Oxford Companion to Christian Art and Architecture'', p. 391, 1996, OUP, {{ISBN|0198661657}}</ref>  

An image consisting only of a dead Christ with angels is also called a Pietà, at least in German, where ''Engelpietà'' (literally "Angel Pietà") is the term for what is usually called ''Dead Christ supported by angels'' in English.<ref>RDK, and ''Christ mort soutenu par des anges'' in French; ''Cristo morto sorretto da angeli'' in Italian.</ref>

[[File:St. Marien (Klosterkirche Bornhofen) 12.jpg|thumb|Pieta of Kampbornhofen, [[Germany]]]]
Several namesake images have merited a [[Canonical coronation|Pontifical decree of coronation]], including the Pieta of [[Saint Peter's Basilica]] in Rome, in the [[Basilique Notre-Dame de Marienthal|Marienthal Basilica]] in France, the Franciscan church in [[Leuven, Belgium]], at the [[Kamp-Bornhofen]], Germany, and [[Our Lady of Charity]] in [[Cartagena, Spain]].

==Context and development==
[[File:Virgen Caridad Cartagena.JPG|thumb|The Pieta as “Our Lady of Charity” (1723) from [[Cartagena, Spain]]. Crowned by the Pontifical decree of [[Pope Pius X]] in 1923. ]]

The Pietà is one of the three common artistic representations of a sorrowful Virgin Mary, the other two being the ''[[Mater Dolorosa]]'' ("dolorous mother") and the ''[[Stabat Mater (art)|Stabat Mater]]'' ("standing mother").<ref>Arthur de Bles, 2004 ''How to Distinguish the Saints in Art by Their Costumes, Symbols and Attributes'' {{ISBN|1-4179-0870-X}} page 35</ref><ref>Anna Jameson, 2006 ''Legends of the Madonna: as represented in the fine arts'' {{ISBN|1-4286-3499-1}} page 37</ref> The other two representations are most commonly found in paintings, rather than sculpture, although combined forms exist.<ref>E.g. see [[Noël Quillerier]]'s at [[Oratorio della Nunziatella]]</ref>

The Pietà developed in Germany (where it is called ''Vesperbild'') about 1300, reached Italy about 1400, and was especially popular in Central European [[Andachtsbilder]].<ref>G. Schiller, ''Iconography of Christian Art, Vol. II'', 1972, Lund Humphries, London, pp. 179–181, figs 622–39, {{ISBN|0-85331-324-5}}</ref> Many German and Polish 15th-century examples in wood greatly emphasise Christ's wounds. Although the subject was known in Italy, the name may have been slower to be adopted, and the [[Florence|Florentine]] diarist Luca Landucci, after describing a painting in an entry for June 1482, added "which is called by some a Pietà".<ref>Murrays, 391</ref>  
[[File:Marienthal NotreDame98.jpg|thumb|The Pietà image of the Marienthal Basílica in France. Crowned by Pontifical decree of [[Pope Pius IX]] in 1859.]]
The [[Deposition of Christ]] and the Lamentation or Pietà form the 13th of the [[Stations of the Cross]], as well as one of the [[Seven Sorrows of the Virgin]].

Although the Pietà most often shows the Virgin Mary holding Jesus, there are other compositions, including those where [[God the Father]] participates in holding Jesus Christ. In Spain the Virgin often holds up one or both hands, sometimes with Christ's body slumped to the floor.

== Michelangelo ==
{{main|Pietà (Michelangelo)}}
[[File:Pieta Bandini Opera Duomo Florence n01.jpg|thumb|''[[The Deposition (Michelangelo)|The Deposition]]'', 1547–1555, [[Michelangelo]], [[Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Florence)|Museo dell'Opera del Duomo]], [[Florence]]]]

A [[Pietà (Michelangelo)|famous example]] by the Italian sculptor [[Michelangelo]] in marble is in [[Saint Peter's Basilica]] in the [[Vatican City]]. The body of Christ is different from most earlier Pietà statues, which were usually smaller and in wood. The Virgin is also unusually youthful, and in repose, rather than the older, sorrowing Mary of most Pietàs. She is shown as youthful for two reasons: God is the source of all beauty and she is one of the closest to God, and because the exterior is thought as the revelation of the interior; therefore, the virgin is morally beautiful. Michelangelo's Pieta sculpture is also unique in the fact that it is the only one of his works that he ever signed. Upon hearing that visitors thought it had been sculpted by [[Cristoforo Solari]], a competitor, he carved his signature into Mary's sash as "MICHAELA[N]GELUS BONAROTUS FLORENTIN[US] FACIEBA[T]": "Michelangelo Buonarroti the Florentine made this".<ref>William E. Wallace, 1995 ''Life and Early Works (Michelangelo: Selected Scholarship in English)'' {{ISBN|0-8153-1823-5}} page 233</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.michelangelo.net/pieta/|title=Pieta by Michelangelo|website=www.michelangelo.net}}</ref>

In a lesser known Michelangelo Pietà, ''[[The Deposition (Michelangelo)|The Deposition]]'' ({{Circa|1547–1555}}), it is not the Virgin Mary who is holding Christ's body, but rather [[Nicodemus]] (or possibly [[Joseph of Arimathea]]), [[Mary Magdalene]], and the Virgin Mary. There is some indication that the man in the hood is based on a self-portrait of the artist.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.michelangelo.net/deposition/|title=The Deposition by Michelangelo|website=www.michelangelo.net}}</ref> The sculpture is housed in the [[Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Florence)|Museo dell'Opera del Duomo]] in [[Florence]] and is also known as the ''Florentine Pietà''.

A generation later, the Spanish painter [[Luis de Morales]] painted a number of highly emotional Pietàs, with examples in the [[Louvre]] and {{lang|es|[[Museo del Prado]]|italic=no}}.

==''Dead Christ supported by angels''==
This related subject is called ''Engelpietà'' (literally "Angel Pietà") in German, and included here for that reason. It is a variant of the ''[[Man of Sorrows]]'' (''Imago Pietatis'') type of andachtsbilder, but showing a Christ who is clearly dead (in ''Man of Sorrows'' images he tends to have his eyes open).  Typically the half-length body of the dead Christ sits on a ledge, held up by smaller angels at each side. Christ is naked down to a loin-cloth and his wounds are visible. But there are many variants of this composition, especially after about 1500. It was common in both sculpture and painting from the 14th century until the [[Counter Reformation]], but found through the Baroque period as well.<ref>RDK</ref>

== Comic book art and popular culture ==
The iconography of Piéta, with a figure holding a body in their arms, has been regularly used in comic book art, especially on covers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 23, 2008 |title=I Can't Cover What I Am - The Best Pieta Covers! |url=https://www.cbr.com/i-cant-cover-what-i-am-the-best-pieta-covers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315145652/https://www.cbr.com/i-cant-cover-what-i-am-the-best-pieta-covers/ |archive-date=March 15, 2017 |access-date=August 3, 2023 |website=[[Comic Book Resources|CBR]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 13, 2009 |title=Top Five Actual Pieta Covers |url=https://www.cbr.com/top-five-actual-pieta-covers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106232318/https://www.cbr.com/top-five-actual-pieta-covers/ |archive-date=November 6, 2020 |access-date=August 3, 2023 |website=[[Comic Book Resources|CBR]] |language=en}}</ref> One of the most famous examples is the cover for ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]'' #7, which features [[Superman]] holding the dead body of [[Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)|Supergirl]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 |publisher=DC Comics |year=1985}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=February 7, 2007 |title=DC Nation: #47 |url=http://dccomics.com/news/?nw=7329 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011185256/http://dccomics.com/news/?nw=7329 |archive-date=October 11, 2007 |access-date=May 27, 2024 |website=DC Comics}}</ref>

[[Lana Del Rey]]'s 2012 music video "[[Born to Die]]" features the scene of a man holding the corpse of the singer in a Piéta-like pose.

[[St. Vincent (musician)|St. Vincent]]'s song Pietà references her father holding her in a [[Holiday Inn]] pool for her baptism "like an inverse-Piéta". This song was released on the deluxe version of the album ''[[St. Vincent (album)|St. Vincent]]''.

The ending to [[John Steinbeck]]’s ''[[The Grapes of Wrath]]'' is often interpreted to symbolize a pietà, with Rose of Sharon cradling a dying old man.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

== Image gallery ==
<gallery widths="200" heights="200">
File:Meister der Pietà von Avignon 004.jpg|The ''[[Pietà of Villeneuve-lès-Avignon|Avignon Pietà]]'', [[Enguerrand Charonton]], 15th century
File:Köln st severin pieta.jpg|15th-century German wood ''Pietà'' from [[Cologne]]
File:Jean Malouel - Large Round Pietà - WGA13901.jpg|Pieta Tondo by Jean Malouel, between 1400 and 1410 ([[Louvre]])
File:Museo diocesano di klagenfurt, pietà, 1420 circa, da st. michael am zollfeld.JPG|Austrian ''Pietà'', {{circa|1420}}
File:Pietà - Abside dell'Oratorio di Santa Maria - Garbagna Novarese.jpg|Pietà at [[Oratorio di Santa Maria (Garbagna Novarese)|Oratorio di Santa Maria]], [[Garbagna Novarese|Garbagna Nov.]] (Italy), early 15th century
File:Van-der-Weyden-Pieta.jpg|[[Rogier van der Weyden]], {{lang|es|[[Museo del Prado]]|italic=no}}, [[Madrid]], with [[John the Apostle|Saint John]] and a donor, {{circa|1440}}-1450
File:Kraków Pietà of Tubądzin.jpg|[[Kraków]], {{circa|1450}}
File:German or Netherlandish 15th Century, Pietà, c. 1450-1500, NGA 3155.jpg|German or Netherlandish 15th Century, ''Pietà'', {{circa|1450}}–1500, [[National Gallery of Art]]
File:Pietro Perugino cat19.jpg|[[Pietro Perugino]], [[Uffizi]], 1490
File:Vesperbild Schwaben um 1500.jpg|[[Swabia]]n painted wood ''Pietà'' of c. 1500
File:Accademia - Pietà Martinengo by Giovanni Bellini Cat.883.jpg|[[Giovanni Bellini]], c. 1505
File:DiefflerPietàL1010653 (2).JPG|Dieffler Pietà, Wooden sculpture, presumably 15th or 18th century, former chapel of [[Wendelin of Trier|St Wendelin]] in [[Diefflen]], [[Saarland Museum]], Old Collection
File:El Greco Pietà.jpg|[[El Greco]], ''[[Pietà (El Greco)|Pietà]]'', 1571–1576, [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]]
File:Annibale Carracci 1560-1609 Pieta.jpg|[[Pietà (Annibale Carracci)|''Pietà'']], c. 1600, [[Annibale Carracci]], [[National Museum of Capodimonte]]
File:Gregorio Fernandez-Piedad.jpg|''[[Pietà (Gregorio Fernández)|Pietà]]'' by [[Gregorio Fernández]], 1616–1619, [[National Sculpture Museum (Valladolid)|National Sculpture Museum]], painted wood for a processional float
File:Andechs Kloster interior 027.JPG|18th-century Bavarian example with [[Rococo]] setting
File:A Pietà by Michelangelo, in the Galleria dell'Accademia.jpg|The Palestrina Pietà originally attributed to Michelangelo but probably by another sculptor
File:William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) - Pieta (1876).jpg|''[[Pieta (Bouguereau)|Pieta]]'', 1876, [[William-Adolphe Bouguereau]]
File:Pieta, St. Gereon Basilica.jpg|A Pietà in marble by [[Anton Josef Reiss]], 1897
File:(Albi) Collégiale Saint-Salvi - Pietà dite Mater Dolorosa - Chapelle de la déploration du Christ PalissyIM81001576.jpg|Vierge de Pitié, Déploration at Collégiale Saint-Salvi d'Albi, [[Albi]], around 1900
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of statues of Jesus]]
* [[Pietà (Michelangelo)|''Pietà'' (Michelangelo)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

*"RDK" [https://www.rdklabor.de/wiki/Engelpiet%c3%a0 "Engelpietà"] by Osten, Gert von der, in the online ''Reallexikon zur Deutschen Kunstgeschichte'' (in print: Vol. V (1960), pp. 601–621)

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |author=Forsyth, William F. | title= The Pietà in French late Gothic sculpture: regional variations | location=New York | publisher=The Metropolitan Museum of Art | year=1995 | isbn=0-87099-681-9 | url=http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15324coll10/id/109356}}

==External links==
{{wikt}}
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.history.erfurter-pieta.de Data collection of the image type Pietà in sculpture]
* [http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:196060/ 3D model of a detail of Mary from a cast made by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the Vatican Museums, via photogrammetric survey]
* [https://vallum.wordpress.com/2015/10/24/vallum-poem-of-the-week-notes-towards-nine-pietas-by-moez-surani/ Poem by Moez Surani proposing nine new sculptural Pietas]

{{Madonna styles}}
{{Life of Jesus in Christian art}}
{{Virgin Mary}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pieta}}
[[Category:Pietà| ]]
[[Category:Christian terminology]]
[[Category:Italian words and phrases]]
[[Category:Descent from the Cross]]