Rottgen pietà

This is part of the beauty and drama of Gothic art, which aimed to create an emotional response in medieval viewers.

Röttgen Pietà, c.

Or was there some other reason Michelangelo inscribed his name in so awkward a place? 1315, tempera on panel, 38.4 x 27 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

The effects of this new devotional style, which emphasized the humanity of Christ, quickly spread throughout western Europe through the rise of new religious orders (the Franciscans, for example) and the popularity of their preaching.

Francis of Assisi stressed Christ’s humanity and poverty. 1300-25, painted wood, 34 1/2 inches high (Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Bonn)

Pietà statues appeared in Germany in the late 1200s and were made in this region throughout the Middle Ages. Michelangelo’s Pieta is serene and beautiful instead of anguished and gory as Pietas has been up until this point.

N.p., n.d. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/02_february/05/divine_michelangelo_overview.shtml>.

Harris, Dr. Beth, and Dr. Steven Zucker. The Röttgen Pietà is the most gruesome of these extant examples.

Many of the other Pietàs also show a reclining dead Christ with three dimensional wounds and a skeletal abdomen.

But Michelangelo chose not to convey that message. His Pieta has become one of the most well-known pieces of art in the world and will forever be one of the most beloved pieces in the Christian world.

 BIBLIOGRAPHY

“The Divine Michelangelo – Overview of Michelangelo’s Major Artworks.” BBC News.

Web. 13 Feb. 2015. The Rottgen Pieta followed the traditional Gothic fashion of creating religious works that were full of anguish and somewhat gory. Web. 13 Feb. 2015. Aside from this being the first Italian Pieta, Michelangelo chose to use a classical representation of Mary by making her youthful instead of the typical middle-aged woman that she really was and he chose to show peace on her face instead of the usual sorrow and grief.

“Vatican Marks Anniversary of 1972 Attack on Michelangelo’s Pieta.” Reuters. Many examples of Pietàs survive today. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice-Hall, 2004. 1300-25, painted wood, 34 1/2″ high (Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Bonn)

By Dr. Nancy Ross / 12.19.2016
Assistant Professor of Art History
Dixie State College Utah

An emotional response

It is hard to look at the Röttgen Pietà and not feel something—perhaps revulsion, horror, or distaste.

(132.7 x 69.5 x 36.8 cm)

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Another very noticeable difference is the age of Mary. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d.