Vesperbild (Pietà)

Vesperbild (Pietà) , late 1400s–early 1500s

Where object was made: Southern Netherlands (present-day Belgium)

Material/technique: carving; oak wood

Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 93.3 x 53.3 x 35.5 cm
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 36 3/4 x 21 x 14 in
Weight (Weight): 86 lbs

Credit line: Gift of Allan Gerdau

Accession number: 1958.0022

Not on display

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Label texts

Depictions of a sorrowful Virgin Mary holding her crucified son Jesus emerge in Germany in the 1300s. These Vesperbilds are better known to many viewers by their Italian name, Pietà, meaning pity. Religious devotion in the later medieval period can be characterized by an increased attention toward affective piety, or the cultivation of an emotional response in the believer. This sculpture emphasizes the humanity, suffering, and sorrow of Jesus and his mother. The presentation of Mary carrying her crucified son reminds the viewer of images in which Mary carries the infant Jesus, just as those subjects also reinforce associations with the crucifixion.

Exhibition Label:
"Corpus," Apr-2012, Kris Ercums
Depictions of a sorrowful Virgin Mary holding her crucified son Jesus emerge in Germany in the 1300s. These Vesperbilds are better known to many viewers by their Italian name, Pietà, meaning pity. Religious devotion in the later medieval period can be characterized by an increased attention toward affective piety, or the cultivation of an emotional response in the believer. This sculpture emphasizes the humanity, suffering, and sorrow of Jesus and his mother. The presentation of Mary carrying her crucified son reminds the viewer of images in which Mary carries the infant Jesus, just as those subjects also reinforce associations with the crucifixion.