Pietà
The Pietà Michelangelo invented for Vittoria attracted an unusual, ongoing fame, to the point that it became a cult image widely copied and repurposed in different materials. Beyond the numerous copies in drawings, paintings, and engravings, the design was adapted for portable altarpieces, votive reliefs, and paxes—small tablets kissed by the participants in Mass—such as this one. The pax, its gilding quite worn, is crudely inscribed with the name of a religious society of Saint Peter.
Artwork Details
- Title: Pietà
- Maker: Follower of Michelangelo Buonarroti (Italian, Caprese 1475–1564 Rome)
- Date: mid-16th century
- Culture: Italian, Rome
- Medium: Gilt bronze
- Dimensions: Overall: 6 5/8 × 4 1/2 in. (16.8 × 11.4 cm)
- Classification: Medals and Plaquettes
- Credit Line: Bequest of Henry Victor Burgy, 1901
- Object Number: 01.23.151
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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Michelangelo Buonarroti
1505–45
Michelangelo Buonarroti
n.d.
Michelangelo Buonarroti
1521–34
Michelangelo Buonarroti
1505–45
Michelangelo Buonarroti
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