Pietà

Base: 40 × 8 × 2.5

Žemaitija

The Pieta depicts the scene after Jesus was taken down from the cross, and before his burial. Mary is usually portrayed in folk sculptures as sitting and holding on her lap the lifeless body of Christ, which has just been taken down from the cross. The size of Christ’s body in works by folk artists is disproportionately small. Researchers interpret this in various ways. According to some, it could be due to the influence of Gothic art, putting a symbolic emphasis on Mary’s sorrow and torment (P. Galaunė, Lietuvių liaudies menas, Kaunas, 1930, p. 187). Others believe it showed the insignificance of death, since the body of the dead Christ was small, and the work concentrated on Mary’s love and sorrow (V. Rimkus, Pietos meninis vaizdas, Pieta lietuvių liaudies dailėje, Šiauliai: Aušra Museum, 1995, p. 9).

In this composition, Mary’s apparel is painted in colours characteristic of Our Lady of Sorrows, dark red (the dress) and dark blue (the mantle). Her head is often decorated with rays of light, a nimbus of stars, or a crown. Through the Pieta, carvers wanted to express Mary’s suffering, and created an image of a mother’s pain and torment at the loss of a child.

This sculpture by an unknown artist had all the main attributes and colours; however, not all have survived. There was probably an Eye of Providence in a triangle above Mary’s head. This can be guessed at from the small protrusion above the nimbus of rays. Like many folk sculptures, it used to have on both sides standing or kneeling angels with candles in their hands (non-extant). Adoring angels with candles in their hands emphasised the solemnity of the lament over Christ’s death, and were frequent attributes in depictions of the Pieta and Our Lady of Sorrows.

Text author Skaidrė Urbonienė

Base: 40 × 8 × 2.5

Žemaitija

The Pieta depicts the scene after Jesus was taken down from the cross, and before his burial. Mary is usually portrayed in folk sculptures as sitting and holding on her lap the lifeless body of Christ, which has just been taken down from the cross. The size of Christ’s body in works by folk artists is disproportionately small. Researchers interpret this in various ways. According to some, it could be due to the influence of Gothic art, putting a symbolic emphasis on Mary’s sorrow and torment (P. Galaunė, Lietuvių liaudies menas, Kaunas, 1930, p. 187). Others believe it showed the insignificance of death, since the body of the dead Christ was small, and the work concentrated on Mary’s love and sorrow (V. Rimkus, Pietos meninis vaizdas, Pieta lietuvių liaudies dailėje, Šiauliai: Aušra Museum, 1995, p. 9).

In this composition, Mary’s apparel is painted in colours characteristic of Our Lady of Sorrows, dark red (the dress) and dark blue (the mantle). Her head is often decorated with rays of light, a nimbus of stars, or a crown. Through the Pieta, carvers wanted to express Mary’s suffering, and created an image of a mother’s pain and torment at the loss of a child.

This sculpture by an unknown artist had all the main attributes and colours; however, not all have survived. There was probably an Eye of Providence in a triangle above Mary’s head. This can be guessed at from the small protrusion above the nimbus of rays. Like many folk sculptures, it used to have on both sides standing or kneeling angels with candles in their hands (non-extant). Adoring angels with candles in their hands emphasised the solemnity of the lament over Christ’s death, and were frequent attributes in depictions of the Pieta and Our Lady of Sorrows.

Text author Skaidrė Urbonienė