Category: Pieta

Images of Hope: The Pieta

The most tragic sight imaginable is a mother who has lost a child. Witnessing such a thing, most shrink from the searing sense of loss, the emptiness of bereavement. Yet when Michelangelo unveiled his Pietà—the image of the Virgin Mary mourning the lifeless Christ—he revealed how sorrow can be conquered by hope. In 1497, Cardinal…


The Image of Compassion

The Pietà is a common theme throughout the history of Western art, and pertains to works of art that depict the Virgin Mary with Jesus after his crucifixion. The word “pietà” roughly translates to “pity” or “compassion,” and illustrates Mary’s love for her son. The most famous Pietà is a sculpture by Renaissance artist Michelangelo….


How William-Adolphe Bouguereau Dealt With Grief

As human beings, we try our best to deal with the pain of death. Today, we will look at how one of the greatest artists of the 19th century, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, dealt with death through his paintings. Bouguereau’s Artistic Development Bouguereau was born in 1825 in La Rochelle, France, and at a young age entered…