Michelangelo’s Renaissance marble sculpture of Mary holding the dead Jesus is the Pietà.
Michelangelo carved the sculpture between 1498 and 1499 for the French cardinal Jean de Billheres, who commissioned it for a funerary chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica. It is now displayed in a protected chapel inside the basilica in Vatican City.
The composition shows the Virgin Mary seated with Christ across her lap after the Crucifixion. Michelangelo presents Mary as youthful and calm, an artistic choice that differs from literal expectations of her age and emphasizes purity and timelessness. The polished marble and balanced triangular arrangement are defining features.
The Pietà is the only work Michelangelo is known to have signed. According to the traditional account, he added his name after hearing visitors attribute the sculpture to another artist. The signature appears on the sash across Mary’s chest.