Pietà/ Petra By Michelangelo

History holds sacred the fact that Michelangelo was the brightest of the shining stars of 15^th century Rome. The Sistine Chapel being yet another one of his masterpieces. Words don’t do it justice neither do pictures. One has to see it to believe it.

One such piece of art was this marble sculpture titled, Pietà or Petra, that translates into ‘The Pity’ and ‘The Mother’.

This sculpture depicts Mother Mary holding the body of Christ after he was pulled down from the crucifix. It was widely critised and mocked. Michelangelo was called immature (he was only 25 when he made this), he was written off as an artist. They said he was so inexperienced that he couldn’t depict the correct age of Mary as she holds her grown up son’s body. They said it was an impossible feat for an old frail woman to hold a grown man’s dead body. They said it was all wrong!

Michelangelo defended his stance. So much so that he signed it! The only piece of work he ever graced with his name. He shared his view saying that the youthful face of Mary shows that she is ageless. Her virtue is eternal and that is how she will be always remembered. For a mother, her child is never a burden. It will never be more than she can carry and even if it is, she will find the strength to carry it. The Roman catholic in him also believed that Jesus never died. Even after the crucification and after 3 days on the cross, what Mary holds in her arms is a living being and not the heavy cadaver that once was Jesus.

This sculpture is testament to the only two truths that stand strong through time and space, across religion and creed, for man and beast, in fact and fiction, traversing science and mythology. The first, There is a greater power, above all else, running the universe. And the second, there is strong chance that it’s our Mothers!