Art Awareness Pieta by Michelangelo

Michelangelo – who was this guy? No, not the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle!

I mean this guy

Quick Biography Italian Renaissance Artist Poet, sculptor, painter, engineer and architect Born March 6, 1475 in Caprese, Italy – Does anyone else love caprese salads? Anyway…. Family was bankers and dad sometimes held government positions Mother was very sick and died when he was 6 years old 

Quick Biography - continued Entrusted his care to the wife of a stone cutter who lived where Michelangelo’s father owned a marble quarry Drawn to the arts, but dad thought Michelangelo was too good to be an artist – In other words, his father considered his pursuit below the family’s social status and tried to discourage him. – But, in the end, his father failed and world was all the better for it.

Quick Biography - continued Became apprentice to a couple of artists in Florence, the most famous and influential of which was Lorenzo dé Medici, the Magnificent – Michelangelo studied sculpture and anatomy – Influenced by scientists and poets Died on February 18, 1564 But, before he died he created some of the most beautiful and influential art of the Renaissance, such as….

David

The Sistine Chapel

Today, we are going to study another sculpture by Michelangelo: Pieta

Pieta Facts “Pieta” means PITY in Italian Housed in St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City Commissioned by a cardinal for his funeral monument Depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion – Does anyone need to know the story?

Pieta Facts - continued Took less than 2 years to sculpt As the story goes, after the installation of the sculpture, Michelangelo overheard a visitor stating that Pieta was the work of another sculptor. He got wicked made and signed the sash running across Mary’s chest. Only work of art that Michelangelo signed Regretted his outburst of pride and swore never to sign another work of art

Pieta Facts - continued Sustained damage – 1736, four fingers on Mary’s left hand were broken during a move – 1972 – mentally disturbed geologist walked into the chapel and attacked the sculpture with a geologist hammer while screaming “I am Jesus Christ!” He took off Mary’s nose, which had to be restored. Whoa, what a weirdo!

Where am I going with this? Today, we are going to attempt to be great sculptors Michelangelo carved Pieta by the “subtractive process” from large blocks of marble. Whether you start with marble or a bar of soap, the technique is the same – remove the stuff that’s not the thing you are sculpting.

Goldfish Soap Sculpture

Instructions Using plastic butter knives instead of chisels as tools – They are not toys, and it is not funny to act like you are stabbing your neighbor! – Pay attention to the way you need to hold the knife so it doesn’t break! Draw goldfish on the side of your bar of soap. Carefully cut away the soap until you reach the lines you made to define your goldfish.

Instructions - continued Begin to shape your goldfish by rounding the top and bottom, and by flattening the tail. Finally, add the eyes. When you get home after school, if you would like to smooth our your sculpture a bit, wet your fingers with water and then rub them over the surface of the goldfish. Can carve a heart if you don’t want to do a goldfish.

Instructions - continued The knives must be returned to me before I leave. The soap is yours to keep. – Complete your sculpture, shower with it, or eat it … I don’t care – it’s yours. Be careful about getting the soap shavings everywhere! Carve on your paper towel. Have fun!