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Tilman Riemenschneider

Pietà
Now On View

Maker

Tilman Riemenschneider (German, 1460-1531)

Title

Pietà

Year

ca. 1515-1525

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

linden, wood, polychromatic

Dimensions

45.7 x 38.1 x 13.2 cm (18 x 15 x 5 3/16 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Museum Works of Art Fund

Object Number

59.128

Type

Publications

Articles

Wood in the Middle Ages

Exhibition History

European Galleries
Sep 02, 2017

Label copy

In this small sculpture, Mary grieves the death of her son. She supports his broken body and raises one hand in lamentation.

The figures are carved from linden wood, a material sculptors value for its softness and subtle grain. Fine incisions reveal the expressive faces, while deeper cuts frame the figures with drapery. The size of the work suggests that it could have been used as a private devotional object, but Riemenschneider might have made it as a model for a larger sculpture to be executed with the help of assistants in his workshop.

Intermission
Dec 16, 2016 – Jul 02, 2017
From the Reserve I
Paintings of Quality from the Museum's Collection
Apr 09, 1994 – Aug 03, 1994

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Tilman Riemenschneider (German, 1460-1531)
Pietà, ca. 1515-1525
Linden wood
45.7 x 38.1 x 13.2 cm (18 x 15 x 5 3/16 inches)
Museum Works of Art Fund 59.128

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