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At the age of 23, Michelangelo was commissioned by a French cardinal to create the Pietà for St. Peter's Basilica as a tomb monument. The Pietà was sculpted from 1498-1500 and established Michelangelo instantly as the greatest sculptor of his time. The word Pietà means pity from the Greek word for "compassion" or "pity". The theme of Mary cradling the dead body of Christ in her lap was all but unknown in Italy before Michelangelo made it famous in this statue, but it was a staple in the repertoire of French and German sculptors and painters. Michelangelo, however, rendered the northern theme in a way never before attempted or accomplished. Carved from a single block of Carrara marble, this inspiring masterpiece now rests in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. It is interesting to note that this piece was the only creation that Michelangelo ever signed.
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Western Europe
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