MOR-E 62 PIETA

3D Model

Peasant wood sculpture from Galicia in Poland. The sculpture comes from the village of Rdzawka, near Rabka-Zdrój (18th/19th century). The motif of Mary holding the dead body of her son in her lap after being taken down from the cross is one of the most dramatic and moving themes in Christian art. It also plays a central role in the folk devotion to the Passion.

The sculptor consciously utilizes disproportion to focus attention on the emotional message of the scene.

The most unique element of the sculpture is the large heart pierced by seven swords, placed on Mary’s chest. This is a direct reference to the cult of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows – an iconographic combination of the Pietà with a symbolic representation of Simeon’s prophetic prophecy. This element literally visualizes Mary’s inner pain, making the sculpture a representation of the Mother’s spiritual suffering.

created by Jerzy Gorczyca, Wydział Interdyscyplinarny Uniwersytet SWPS w Krakowie