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The Deposition (Michelangelo)
Encyclopedia
The Deposition is a marble sculpture by the Italian
High Renaissance
master Michelangelo
. The sculpture, on which Michelangelo worked between 1547 and 1555, depicts four figures – the dead body of Jesus Christ, newly taken down from the Cross, Nicodemus
(or possibly Joseph of Arimathea
), Mary Magdalene
and the Virgin Mary. The sculpture is housed in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
in Florence
.
Michelangelo's last sculptures were two pietàs (or three assuming the Palestrina Pietà
is his work). According to Vasari, Michelangelo made the Florence Pietà to decorate his tomb in Santa Maria Maggiore
in Rome
. After smashing the sculpture, he gave it to his servant Antonio. Later the servant sold the work and the new owner had it reconstructed by Tiberio Calcagni following Michelangelo's models.
The face of Nicodemus under the hood is considered to be a self-portrait of Michelangelo himself. Additionally, the female figure at left was finished by sculptor Tiberio Calcagni. Cacagni was assigned the job after Michelangelo abandoned the sculpture after eight years of tireless work upon discovering an impurity in the marble that had gone undiscovered until that point.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
High Renaissance
High Renaissance
The expression High Renaissance, in art history, is a periodizing convention used to denote the apogee of the visual arts in the Italian Renaissance...
master Michelangelo
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
. The sculpture, on which Michelangelo worked between 1547 and 1555, depicts four figures – the dead body of Jesus Christ, newly taken down from the Cross, Nicodemus
Nicodemus
Saint Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, who, according to the Gospel of John, showed favour to Jesus...
(or possibly Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph of Arimathea was, according to the Gospels, the man who donated his own prepared tomb for the burial of Jesus after Jesus' Crucifixion. He is mentioned in all four Gospels.-Gospel references:...
), Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
and the Virgin Mary. The sculpture is housed in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Florence)
The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Florence, Italy is a museum containing many of the original works of art created for the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, the cathedral of Florence. The museum is located just east of the Duomo, near its apse...
in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
.
Michelangelo's last sculptures were two pietàs (or three assuming the Palestrina Pietà
Palestrina Pietà
Palestrina Pietà is a marble sculpture by the Italian High Renaissance, dating from c. 1555 and housed in the Academy of Fine Arts, Florence, Italy. It was formerly attributed to Michelangelo, but now it is mostly considered to have been completed by someone else. The sculpture depicts three...
is his work). According to Vasari, Michelangelo made the Florence Pietà to decorate his tomb in Santa Maria Maggiore
Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
The Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major , known also by other names, is the largest Roman Catholic Marian church in Rome, Italy.There are other churches in Rome dedicated to Mary, such as Santa Maria in Trastevere, Santa Maria in Aracoeli, Santa Maria sopra Minerva, but the greater size of the...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. After smashing the sculpture, he gave it to his servant Antonio. Later the servant sold the work and the new owner had it reconstructed by Tiberio Calcagni following Michelangelo's models.
The face of Nicodemus under the hood is considered to be a self-portrait of Michelangelo himself. Additionally, the female figure at left was finished by sculptor Tiberio Calcagni. Cacagni was assigned the job after Michelangelo abandoned the sculpture after eight years of tireless work upon discovering an impurity in the marble that had gone undiscovered until that point.