Francesco de Mura - Pietà - Walters 371125

A Pietà (meaning compassion in Italian) is the image of the Virgin Mary mourning her dead son. In the Bible, she mourns along with others. Isolating her focuses the viewer's attention on her suffering and her compassion for her son's suffering, thereby offering the ultimate example for pious Catholics.
The idealized, muscular body of the dead Christ is set off against the stately, pyramidal figure of Mary in her voluminous robe and presented to the viewer so that he or she, like the Virgin Mary, can meditate on Christ's sacrifice. The silvery tones, like the ahistorical setting, lend an aura of timelessness to the subject.