The Disposition by Michelangelo - Critical Essay

Introduction

Back in the 16th and 17th centuries, artists were the most renowned people in the western civilisations. Even more than Kings and royalties, artists were renowned for their skill and creativity. Between 1400 and 1600, Europe realized great growth in knowledge, religion and economic prosperity. This period saw the existence of some of the most famous names such as Christopher Columbus and Leonardo da Vinci. One of the most famous names from this period is Michelangelo Buonarroti. His masterpiece Pieta was a game changer for Italian art.

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Pieta is marble sculpture measuring 5 foot, 8 inches. The sculpture features Jesus laying across Mary's lap as she looks down on him. It is created out of a single block of marble. The difference between this sculpture and other Italian sculptures is the portrayal of Jesus. Other sculptures that displayed Jesus' crucifixion emphasised his wounds to display the sadness of the situation(Kieran,52). The wounds are large and the blood is dripping down the body is more pronounced. Marble was the preferred material for sculptures because it was soft and was easy to chisel through. The stone can also be smoothened to produce a smooth surface.

When it comes to Pieta, Michelangelo ignored the wounds and the tears of Mary. Instead, the wounds on Jesus' hands are small, and Mary's tears are non-existent. However, he still manages to bring out the emotion in the situation (Zeki 62). The sculpture appears to speak through calm and silence. It showcased Michelangelo creativity and skill with art. Michelangelo said that he sees the image of the sculpture through the stone and his work is to bring out the sculpture by removing the extra rock.

The sculpture displays the skill and talent of Michelangelo. The sculpture combines some sharp edges of the clothes, the less curved edges to show the folding on the clothes and the curved surfaces of the in uniform to ba ring out beautiful art piece that speaks emotions to the observer. There are thousands of sculptures that depict the same theme as Pieta, but Pieta stands above all of them. During the time of carving out the sculpture, the Renaissance movement was in full swing in Italy. Renaissance emphasized beauty and naturalism. The sculpture accomplished every bit of that.

Michelangelo was able to show such emotions by using his mother's face to represent Mary. His mother had died when he was five years old. This link established the emotional connection between Michelangelo and the Pieta. Other sculptors who portrayed Mary's face chose to show an older Mary, but Michelangelo sculpted a younger Mary. Michelangelo chose this form of Mary to stand as a testament to the timeless purity of the sculptor. On one occasion Michelangelo was talking to fellow sculptor Ascanio Condivi, and he said, "Do you not know that chaste women stay fresh much more than those who are not chaste? How much more in the case of the Virgin, who had never experienced the least lascivious desire that might change her body." (Wallace n.p).

Conclusion

Michelangelo chose to focus on the significance of the moment. Instead of showing the pain of an old woman who had lost a son like other artists, he chose a young woman who despite the loss of a son, the youth in her face and the calm nature of her son displayed the moment as a victory rather than a loss.

Work Cited

Kieran, Matthew. Revealing art. Routledge, 2004.

Wallace, William E. Michelangelo: The Artist, the Man and his Times. Cambridge University Press, 2011.

Zeki, Semir. "Neural Concept Formation & Art Dante, Michelangelo, Wagner Something, and indeed the ultimate thing, must be left over for the mind to do." Journal of Consciousness Studies 9.3 (2002): 53-76.