Pietà

A piëta is a representation of the Virgin cradling the dead body of Christ on her lap. The meanings of the word include sympathy and comfort, and this is what the representation aims to evoke in the viewer. The piëta and other similar themes arose in the fourteenth century, under the influence of the mystical movement. The visions of mystics that were recorded in writing were visualised in paintings and sculptures. In imitation of these mystics, worshippers sought refuge in these art works through prayer and meditation. Themes connected with the devotion of Christ’s Passion particularly appealed to the imagination and were popular subjects in times of war and pestilence.