Michelangelo's Pieta and its Connection to Our Lady of Sorrows
A Closer Look at Michelangelo's Pieta, and Its Connection to Our Lady of Sorrows
Holy Saturday and Our Sorrowful Mother
On Holy Saturday, or Easter Vigil, we are asked to remember the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And with good reason. Holy Week is when Our Lady experienced the deepest sorrow known to mankind next to the Passion of Christ Himself. Standing beneath the Cross, her sorrowful heart, pure and virginal, took on the Passion of her Son. Our Lady, in her tenderness, knew great sorrow throughout her life as the Mother of God. It is fitting during Holy week to meditate on her sorrows.
Reflect on The Seven Sorrows of Mary:
- The Prophecy of Simeon
- The Flight into Egypt
- The loss of Jesus for three days
- The carrying of the cross
- The Crucifixion of Jesus
- Jesus Taken down from the Cross
- Jesus laid in the tomb
Find the perfect Sorrowful Rosary or Chaplet to honor Mary's 7 Dolors:
The Pieta as Depicting the Sixth Sorrow of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Holy art has the ability to lift our minds and hearts to heavenly things, and to illuminate the mysteries of the faith. The Pieta, by Michelangelo, helps us reflect on Mary’s sorrow at the Lord’s crucifixion. The Pieta represents the sixth sorrowful mystery of the Blessed Virgin Mother Mary when Jesus was taken down from the Cross, and she held her Son in her arms. It is a striking depiction of the suspension of her grief.
A Closer Look at Michelangelo's Pieta:
In retrospect, we consider Michelangelo to be a towering figure in Renaissance art, but before he created the “Pieta” he was somewhat of a “starving artist.” It was this breathtaking piece of sculpture that boosted Michelangelo unlike any other he had created before.
From Latin “Pieta” translates to “pity” or “compassion.” “Pieta” is also the title of the sixth of the Seven Sorrows of Mary in which the blessed mother holds the body of Christ after his crucifixion, death, and removal from the cross. A moment that embodies the pity and compassion of our Mother Mary.
Michelangelo’s mastery of both marble and theology is on full display here. A conscious decision was made to commit to unrealistic body proportions for Mary and her divine son. If she were to stand up, she would dwarf Jesus in size and height, but this was done so she could cradle him in her lap. In an attempt to mask the size disparity, she is draped in a sea of garments. This also gave the artist an avenue in which to show his skill at creating the illusion of fabric.
After further contemplation, the Pieta is very much a Eucharistic sculpture. The Body of Christ rests inside the ark of the new covenant, Mary, the tabernacle. The Blessed Mother holds Jesus up through her robe which is evocative of a humeral veil, or the garment used by the priest to handle the monstrance during the exposition of the Eucharist. Mary gently lowers her son down with her other hand onto the altar, completing the sacrifice.
The pictured monstrance: Monstrance with Red Crystals
Would you like to own a piece of art history?
Leaflet Missal offers beautiful depictions and variations of the event of the "Pieta", the sixth sorrow of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Our Sorrowful Mother. Browse our devotional products which help us meditate on Our Lady of Sorrows and her seven sorrows, such as the Pieta with Angels Figurine:
Leaflet Missal offers several beautiful renditions of the famous “Pieta" by Michelangelo in various sizes. Browse products related to Michelangelo's Pieta Statue, the Passion, and Our lady of Sorrows here.
Prayer in Honor of the Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from The Treasure of the Holy Face of Jesus:
Most Holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs! Who stood beneath the cross, witnessing the agony of your dying Son, look down with a mother's tenderness and pity on us as we kneel before you to venerate your Dolors and place our requests, with filial confidence, in the sanctuary of your wounded heart. Present them on our behalf to Jesus, through the merits of His most Sacred Passion and Death, together with your sufferings at the foot of the cross, and through the united efficacy of both, obtain the favor which we humbly ask. To whom shall we go in our wants and miseries if not to you? O Mother of Mercy, who having so deeply drunk of the chalice of your Son, graciously alleviate the sufferings of those who still sigh in this land of exile. Amen.