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Glite Dictionary
pieta

pieta

2 9.9
A sculpture or painting showing Mary holding Jesus' dead body
  • noun
  • /piˈeɪtə/
: piedad
  • In many churches, you can find a Pieta statue that illustrates Mary's grief over her son, Jesus.
  • Pieta by Michelangelo
  • Florentine Pieta

And it's this Michelangelo's Pieta in this beautiful marble sculpture that's in the Vatican.

Examples

  • The famous Pieta by Michelangelo depicts the Virgin Mary holding the body of Jesus after his crucifixion.

  • And it's this Michelangelo's Pieta in this beautiful marble sculpture that's in the Vatican.

    Chris Williamson

  • The Pieta is the Lady of Sorrows, the woman who holds the dead body of her son in her arms.

    Academic text (1996)

  • This is my Pieta.

    Need for Speed (2014)

  • The Sistine Chapel didn't move me as much as the Pieta did.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • It'd be like the Vatican trying to put a price on Michelangelo's Pieta.

    In the Hand of Dante (2025)

  • Focusing on the Mater Dolorosa, McDowell argued, fulfills the psychological needs of media culture and society in general, since the Pieta icon apparently is less disturbing than a direct focus on male violence and death.

    Academic text (1994)

  • Visitors to the Vatican often admire the stunning Pieta sculpture, which captures a moment of deep sorrow.

Surface Forms

pieta singular
pietas plural

Etymology

Pieta comes from the Italian word pietà, which means 'pity' or 'compassion'. So a pieta is a work of art that shows Mary's deep compassion as she mourns the dead Jesus, which is why the name fits these sculptures and paintings.