Art and Beyond

Art as we know is a wide and people may perceive different things to be a work of art. As we are aware art is man-made and the purpose is appreciation. Things created for utility like a road can certainly not be rendered as art. A work of art is appreciated for its uniqueness, creativity and underlying message. Art exists in a wide array of forms from sculptors, paintings, installations and even more. Several ancient pieces of art have given us path breaking revelations of our historic past .For instance, the painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci.

The Pieta is an art sculptor by Michelangelo, a well known artist from the renaissance period. Known for his perfection and magnificent work. The Pieta was created for a French cardinal Jean de Billheres, once the representative in Rome. The statue was made for the cardinal's funeral monument. However, the work gained immense appreciation and was shifted to St.Peter's Basilica in the 18th century. Michelangelo carved it when he was 24 years old and it is the only one he ever signed. The beauty of its lines and expression have a great impact on everyone.Michaelangelo gave a whole new aspect to spiritual and Christian view of suffering. Previously artist depicted the Virgin with the dead Christ in her arms in pain and sorrow. However, Michelangelo depicted that suffering in Christianity can be mitigated .As she holds the lifeless corpse of her beloved son the virgin's face emanates tranquillity and peace. It shows her acceptance and pride in her son's suffering as if she is confident that he will awaken from his peaceful sleep. The pieta brings out a new aspect of the European culture and the belief that faith in God can help mitigate any suffering. Michelangelo created a supernatural feeling contradicting to several other artists who depicted suffering in the renaissance period to be a painful experience and people looked upon it with pity.

Thus, art tells us so much about the way of life, the belief, the thoughts and the spiritual mindset of people during that time.