Comparing Pieta And Van Gogh's Old Man In Sorrow

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Works of art provoke thought, questions, and emotions. Although all art is vastly different, the common thread its ability to create emotion. Whether those emotions are positive, negative, intense, or subtle. A very common theme between pieces can be sorrow. This is a feeling more intense than just sadness. Sorrow affects the whole body and can make a person just collapse. When looking into a piece with this theme the observer can get a quick glimpse into exactly how the artist was feeling. It’s a window into their soul. This theme has been present in paintings from the 1400s and even in the 1900s. Michelangelo’s Pieta and Van Gogh’s Old Man in Sorrow show this theme perfectly. Many would think to compare paintings hundreds of years apart, …show more content…

Michelangelo was an artist like no other. His detail to the human body was almost untouchable. His marble pieces showed details of the human body that were not commonly shown in art before this time. The Pieta was one of his most remarkable pieces. It shows mother Mary cradling the body of her son Jesus after he was crucified. “Art Through the Ages” textbook stated, “Also breathtaking is the tender sadness of the beautiful and youthful Mary as she mourns the death of her son” (Kleiner 634). The viewer can feel the pain and sorrow she is feeling. She is looking slightly down toward her son. Humanism plays a huge role in making the viewer feel the sorrow of Mary. It portrays her as a mother grieving the lost life of her only son. People can relate to that sorrow and grieve alongside her. It shows that daily life problems are not as bad as losing a child. There is a lot of controversy over this work of art though. Many believe that Mary looks too young to be a mother of Jesus as a man (Kleiner 634). Michelangelo explained that since she is the Virgin Mother she has ageless beauty. Pieta brings issues of life back into …show more content…

Both artists show people being defeated by their emotions. The sorrow the man and Mother Mary are feeling is forcing them to no longer be able to hold up their heads. The viewer can almost start to feel their pain and suffer with them. Humanism plays a huge role in these pieces as well. People can look at these works of art and feel like they are right there. The details in Pieta make people feel like they are really sitting at the feet of Mary holding the body of her son and the angle of Old Man in Sorrow makes it seem like the viewer can just reach out on put their hand on the man’s shoulder for comfort. This makes the scene and emotion more relevant for humans. Even though this two pieces were created in different centuries they share the common theme of

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