pietà
Mercy in art
A pietà is a representation in art—usually sculpture or painting—of the Virgin Mary mourning over the body of the dead Christ, typically cradling him across her lap.
The image emphasizes maternal grief and sacrifice.
The term comes from Italian meaning "pity" or "compassion." The museum's collection includes a small marble pietà from the Renaissance. (Capitalized Pietà usually refers to Michelangelo's famous sculpture.)
Concern for others' distress
- mercyCompassion toward offenders
- sorrowDeep emotional distress
- devotionDeep, loyal commitment
- CatholicPapal church adherent
suffering · lamentation · Virgin Mary · intercession · meditation · sacred · reverence · veneration
Common feminine name
- ChristThe anointed savior
- lamentationPassionate expression of grief
- marbleRecrystallized limestone rock
- RenaissanceEuropean cultural reawakening
devotional · mourning · drapery · Virgin · crucifixion · Baroque · Bellini
Arranged elements forming whole
- diagonalSlanting line or path
- triangularThree-cornered in form
- draperyOrnamental hanging cloth
- anatomyStudy of organism structure
idealized · serene · expressive · Renaissance · Baroque · chiaroscuro · pathos · emotion
compassion
Concern for others' distress
Catholic · suffering · lamentation · Virgin Mary · intercession · meditation · sacred · reverence · veneration · grief
Mary
Common feminine name
- ChristThe anointed savior
- lamentationPassionate expression of grief
- marbleRecrystallized limestone rock
Renaissance · devotional · mourning · drapery · Virgin · crucifixion · Baroque · Bellini
composition
Arranged elements forming whole
- diagonalSlanting line or path
- triangularThree-cornered in form
- draperyOrnamental hanging cloth
anatomy · idealized · serene · expressive · Renaissance · Baroque · chiaroscuro · pathos · emotion · figurative
pietàcelebration
Festive event marking occasion
triumph · jubilation · exultation · rejoicing · ecstasy
- filial pietyRespect owed to parents
- Christian pietyReligious devotion and virtue