---
node: pieta
type: art
slug: pieta_michelangelo
title: "Pietà"
lead: "The Pietà is Michelangelo's marble sculpture of Mary holding the dead Christ, carved in 1498–1499 when he was in his early twenties. It stands in Saint Peter's Basilica and is the only work he ever signed."
published: 2026-07-11
updated: 2026-07-11
image_file: pieta_michelangelo.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Michelangelo%27s_Pieta_5450_cropncleaned_edit.jpg"
image_author: "Stanislav Traykov"
image_license: "CC BY 2.5"
---

## Overview

The French cardinal Jean Bilhères de Lagraulas commissioned the group in 1498 for his funerary chapel in Old St. Peter's. Michelangelo finished it within about a year, before he turned 25.

## Description

Mary, shown young and serene, holds Christ across her lap in a stable pyramidal composition, the marble polished to an unusual finish. After overhearing the work attributed to another sculptor, Michelangelo carved his name on the band across Mary's chest — his only signature.

## History and legacy

The Pietà made Michelangelo's reputation and was moved into the new St. Peter's, where it remains. In 1972 a hammer-wielding attacker badly damaged Mary's face and arm; after restoration the sculpture has been displayed behind protective glass.