Michelangelo's Pieta is probably one of the most iconic art figures of its era and for this reason it may seem an odd choice for the inception of this particular blog. I have several reasons, however, to justify the admittedly dubious decision, that can be summarized in two words: context and technique.
Like the Nativity and the Annunciation, the scene of Mary holding the corpse of her son in grief is an image frequently visited in Christian art. I can only imagine that for a Christian, the image is one of profound emotional impact regardless of the artist or composition. The artist's own profound sadness is often evident in these works as well. Compare, for example, the Rottgen Pieta to Michelangelo's Pieta.
The images are most certainly dissimilar in that Michelangelo's technique is by far more technically proficient, but both present the viewer with a compelling sense of the artist's pathos for the subject. While the Rottgen Pieta is crudely carved and of a much smaller scale, the carved face of Mary shows an agony that is immediately apparent to its audience.
Emotional implications aside, the technique of this particular work is mind-numbing. The two figures are so realistic as to appear as though the Virgin and Christ of the Christian myth have been caught for a moment in time and turned to stone. The folds of Mary's clothing are captured in astonishing detail and accuracy.
It seems apparent, upon examination, why Michelangelo's Pieta is known to nearly every schoolchild in the Western World.
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