The Artist and His Times - Essay Example

The nobility of the woman is perhaps best portrayed by cloth. The woman, the Virgin Mary, is well covered with reputable apparel from head to toe. She has a headcloth and her torso is well covered in a generous amount of clothing. It is symbolic for the dignity that she was accorded, both by Michelangelo and the staunch believers in Christianity. This dignity is deprived of the young man in the monument (Jesus Christ). Michelangelo almost portrays Jesus with nudity save for an article of flimsy clothing around his groin.

This is symbolic for the disrespect Jesus was subjected to during crucifixion, and the brutality by which he was handled. The significance of this monument runs deeper than is seen in its meticulous color and texture. It is the only artwork Michelangelo ever put his signature to, despite his varied amount of artwork in his lifetime.    The artist, Michelangelo, on a piece of marble skillfully curved the structure, leaving nothing to chance. The Pieta has detailed characteristics, owing to its physical appearance.

There are contrasting features of the statue, especially with the clothing, the face of the characters and the stone forming the base of the statue. Michelangelo held so much regard for this artwork that he decided to gift it to the Vatican City, which placed it at the St. Peter’s Basilica. The personal touch that Michelangelo portrays with this monument emanates from the fact that it was a custom product for the French Cardinal, Jean de Billheres. Pieta was originally for the funeral of the French Cardinal and perhaps explains why Michelangelo signed it and accorded it utmost attention in terms of curving and detail.

    Michelangelo selects a very beautiful stone on which to curve this sculpture. With the same beautiful stone forming its base, the monument maintains consistency and compactness that accords it its elegance. Its smooth finishing accords it a shiny glow that adds onto its beauty. Michelangelo also ascertains to minimize extra baggage in the monument by making it concisely about Mary and Jesus. Despite its large size, the monument only depicts the two people without adding in the aspects of their surroundings.

This ensures that details are clearly revealed without confusion and that anybody is able to translate meaning without stretching their imagination. Additionally, the monument is not haphazard. Michelangelo ensured that it acquired a pyramidal shape with the apex of the pyramid coinciding with Mary’s head. The top section of the monument then maintains a narrow outlook, which progressively widens towards the base. The wide base on which the monument stands represents the Rock of Golgotha and helps make the pyramidal structure perfect.

However, critics of this monument argue that it comes out rather too big as Michelangelo opts to curve full-size portraits of the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus Christ, instead of including aspects of their surrounding in the monument (Wallace). They argue it lacks proportion because it builds two large images upon a small base. Additionally, some argue that the near-nude portrayal of Jesus Christ is unethical and disrespectful to Christ (Wallace). A lot has been said about the body language between mother and son in this monument and the fact that Jesus lacked nail marks on his feet.

The latter has been used by many foes to criticize many of other Michelangelo’s works. They argue that this is a goof that was not worthy of making, especially by an artist of Michelangelo’s caliber. Many also point out to the exaggerated clothing of the Virgin Mary, arguing that it departed from reality (Wallace).     However, it is important to note that Michelangelo is an artist and arts have themes. He wanted to portray the theme of respect and dignity and this was the only way he could have done that in this portrait.

Additionally, nail marks could not have been made in the sculpture for fear of damaging the fine texture and curve the artist had labored so hard to achieve. As such, the marks were achieved by applying red paints at the center of Jesus’ feet and palms. This paint, judging from the materials they were made of in those days, was not durable and, therefore, liable to fading away. I personally think that Michelangelo managed to construct perhaps the world’s most phenomenal piece of art based on real events; the goofs pointed out notwithstanding.