The Rondanini Pietà is a marble sculpture that Michelangelo worked on from 1552 until the last days of his life, in 1564. Several sources indicate that there were actually three versions, with this one being the last.[1][2] The name Rondanini refers to the fact that the sculpture stood for centuries in the courtyard at the Palazzo Rondanini [it] (also known as Palazzo Rondinini) in Rome.[3] Certain sources point out that biographer Giorgio Vasari had referred to this Pietà in 1550, suggesting that the first version may already have been underway at that time.[4] The work is now in the Museo della Pietà Rondanini that was inaugurated in 2015 at Sforza Castle in Milan.[5]
This final sculpture revisited the theme of the Virgin Mary mourning over the emaciated body of the dead Christ, which he had first explored in his Pietà of 1499. Like his late series of drawings of the Crucifixion and the sculpture of the Deposition of Christ intended for his own tomb, it was produced at a time when Michelangelo's sense of his own mortality was growing.[6] He had worked on the sculpture all day, just six days before his death.[7]
The Rondanini Pietà was begun before The Deposition of Christ was completed in 1555. In his dying days, Michelangelo hacked at the marble block until only the dismembered right arm of Christ survived from the sculpture as originally conceived. The elongated Virgin and Christ are a departure from the idealised figures that exemplified the sculptor's earlier style, and have been said to bear more of a resemblance to the attenuated figures of Gothic sculpture than those of the Renaissance.[8][9] Some also suggest that the elongated figures are reminiscent of the style used in Mannerism.[10][11]
The unfinished quality of the work fits with Michelangelo's late progress away from naturalism and humanism and toward a mystical Neoplatonism, in which he conceived of a sculpture as latent in the marble and requiring merely the removal of superfluous material; in this manner, he seems to have deprived his human symbols of corporeal quality in an attempt to convey directly a purely spiritual idea.[12]
It has also been suggested that the sculpture should not be considered unfinished, but a work in a continuous process of being made visible by the viewer as he or she moves around to see it from multiple angles.[13]
South African visual artist Marlene Dumas based her 2012 painting Homage to Michelangelo on the Rondanini Pietà.[14]
^Blunt, Anthony (1994). Artistic theory in Italy, 1450-1600. Internet Archive. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0-19-881050-6.
^Ivana Vranic (2010). Visibility of Sculpted Matter and Form: Michelangelo's Rondanini Pietà and the Ontological Nature of Sculpture (Thesis). University of British Columbia Press. doi:10.14288/1.0071176.
rondanini, pietà, marble, sculpture, that, michelangelo, worked, from, 1552, until, last, days, life, 1564, several, sources, indicate, that, there, were, actually, three, versions, with, this, being, last, name, rondanini, refers, fact, that, sculpture, stood. The Rondanini Pieta is a marble sculpture that Michelangelo worked on from 1552 until the last days of his life in 1564 Several sources indicate that there were actually three versions with this one being the last 1 2 The name Rondanini refers to the fact that the sculpture stood for centuries in the courtyard at the Palazzo Rondanini it also known as Palazzo Rondinini in Rome 3 Certain sources point out that biographer Giorgio Vasari had referred to this Pieta in 1550 suggesting that the first version may already have been underway at that time 4 The work is now in the Museo della Pieta Rondanini that was inaugurated in 2015 at Sforza Castle in Milan 5 Rondanini PietaThe sculpture in 2024ArtistMichelangeloYear1564TypeStoneDimensions195 cm 77 in LocationCastello Sforzesco MilanPreceded byThe Deposition Michelangelo Followed byThe Entombment Michelangelo This final sculpture revisited the theme of the Virgin Mary mourning over the emaciated body of the dead Christ which he had first explored in his Pieta of 1499 Like his late series of drawings of the Crucifixion and the sculpture of the Deposition of Christ intended for his own tomb it was produced at a time when Michelangelo s sense of his own mortality was growing 6 He had worked on the sculpture all day just six days before his death 7 The Rondanini Pieta was begun before The Deposition of Christ was completed in 1555 In his dying days Michelangelo hacked at the marble block until only the dismembered right arm of Christ survived from the sculpture as originally conceived The elongated Virgin and Christ are a departure from the idealised figures that exemplified the sculptor s earlier style and have been said to bear more of a resemblance to the attenuated figures of Gothic sculpture than those of the Renaissance 8 9 Some also suggest that the elongated figures are reminiscent of the style used in Mannerism 10 11 The unfinished quality of the work fits with Michelangelo s late progress away from naturalism and humanism and toward a mystical Neoplatonism in which he conceived of a sculpture as latent in the marble and requiring merely the removal of superfluous material in this manner he seems to have deprived his human symbols of corporeal quality in an attempt to convey directly a purely spiritual idea 12 It has also been suggested that the sculpture should not be considered unfinished but a work in a continuous process of being made visible by the viewer as he or she moves around to see it from multiple angles 13 South African visual artist Marlene Dumas based her 2012 painting Homage to Michelangelo on the Rondanini Pieta 14 See also editList of statues of Jesus List of works by MichelangeloReferences edit Enrica Crispino 2001 Auguste Tosone ed Michelangelo Ediz Inglese Translated by Silvia Silvestri Giunti Editore p 117 ISBN 88 09 02274 2 The final period Last Judgment frescoes of the Pauline Chapel last Pietas Princeton University Press 1960 p 154 The Pieta Rondanini Retrieved 4 July 2018 Archana Srinivasan September 2004 World Famous Artists Sura Books p 18 ISBN 81 7478 522 1 Museo della Pieta Rondanini Retrieved 13 February 2023 Emma Barker Nick Webb Kim Woods eds 1999 The Changing Status of the Artist Yale University Press p 23 ISBN 0 300 07740 8 11 September 2010 The Rondanini Pieta Retrieved 4 July 2018 Rondanini Pieta Retrieved 4 July 2018 Rondanini Pieta last Michelangelo s masterpiece The Italo Americano 20 April 2015 Archived from the original on 5 July 2018 Retrieved 5 July 2018 L E Semler 1998 The English Mannerist Poets and the Visual Arts Dickinson University Press p 247 ISBN 0 8386 3759 0 Cracking the ACT 2016 The Princeton Review ACT 2015 p 264 ISBN 978 1 101 88198 9 ISSN 1059 101X a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a journal ignored help Blunt Anthony 1994 Artistic theory in Italy 1450 1600 Internet Archive Oxford New York Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 881050 6 Ivana Vranic 2010 Visibility of Sculpted Matter and Form Michelangelo s Rondanini Pieta and the Ontological Nature of Sculpture Thesis University of British Columbia Press doi 10 14288 1 0071176 Marlene Dumas 2012 Written in the Stars Milan Sorte pp 39 43 ISBN 978 8836622856 External links edit nbsp Media related to Pieta Rondanini at Wikimedia Commons nbsp This article about a sculpture in Italy is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rondanini Pieta amp oldid 1219234598, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
