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Details / Information for Pietà

Pietà

c. 1460

Southern Germany, Swabia, 15th century

Medium
woodcut, hand colored with watercolor
Support
Laid paper
Measurements
Sheet: 38.7 x 28.8 cm (15 1/4 x 11 5/16 in.)
Credit Line
Severance and Greta Millikin Trust 2002.4
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

In this single-leaf woodcut, Mary’s left hand engages her headscarf in a gesture known as the tuchlein-geste, an act anticipating the wiping away of tears.

Description

Early woodcuts usually illustrate religious subjects for the spiritual edification and contemplative meditation of a mostly illiterate public. Produced by anonymous craftsmen, these simple, direct images facilitated an intimate dialogue between the individual and the holy figure depicted.

Here, a youthful Virgin Mary delicately embraces her dead son’s body, with its hand-colored flesh and drops of blood. Behind her, the wooden cross displays the Instruments of the Passion of Christ: two nails, the crown of thorns, and two scourges. By stressing the humanity of Mary’s grief over her son’s suffering and death, the print encourages an empathetic response from the beholder.

This pietà was probably inspired by sculptures of the subject, common in Germany. Printed on a full sheet of paper, the image was hand colored with watercolor. Remnants of adhesive on the verso and holes caused by insects suggest that it was pasted inside the cover of a book, which preserved it. There are only about 20 northern single-image woodcuts extant. Extraordinary in its large size, fresh color, and good state of preservation, this sheet is the only known impression of the image.
A vertically oriented woodcut with hand coloring depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the dead Christ on her lap. Both have light skin tones and circular halos. Mary wears a brown cloak over a red gown, supporting Christ's head as his body is marked by red streaks. Above them, a horizontal beam holds a green wreath and bundles. The print features bold black lines on paper with ragged, uneven edges.

Pietà

c. 1460

Southern Germany, Swabia, 15th century

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