The Pieta is a marble sculpture by Michelangelo showing the Virgin Mary holding the body of the dead Christ on her lap. He made it as a young man, when he was in his early twenties, for a French cardinal, Jean de Bilheres, who was the representative of the king of France at the papal court in Rome. It is the only work that Michelangelo signed, with his name carved across the sash on Mary's chest. The statue is admired for its balanced composition and for the smooth finish of the marble, as well as for the youthful and serene face of Mary. It stands in St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, where it was damaged by a hammer attack in 1972 and is now protected by glass.
Before and after
- 1496Introduction of złoty
- 1497Introduction of Spanish dollar
- 24 June 1497John Cabot reaches North America
- from 1498 to 1975Portuguese Mozambique
- 1499Pietà (Michelangelo)
- from 15th century to 18th centuryAge of Discovery
- c. 1500sDavid
- c. 1500Modern period
- 15th centuryConstruction of Red Square
More in Art, literature & culture
- c. 500sRise of medieval music
- from 8th century to 9th centuryRise of Carolingian Renaissance
- c. 1010sMurasaki Shikibu writes The Tale of Genji
- from 1140 to 1530Gothic art
- 1400Rise of Renaissance music
- c. 1490sThe Last Supper
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 15th century.