"My eyes longing for beautiful things together with my soul longing for salvation have no other power to ascend to heaven than the contemplation of beautiful things." - Michelangelo Buonarroti

Michelangelo is widely considered the greatest artistic genius that ever lived - a man whose name has become synonymous with the word masterpiece.

Michelangelo created many of his works for the Vatican, including the breathtaking frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and the incredibly beautiful Pieta. Of all his sculptures, the Pieta was the only one he ever signed - it was both the consummate expression of his artistic abilities and an embodiment of the Divine inspiration that guided his work.

In the Pieta, Michelangelo was focused on evoking the Renaissance ideal of spiritual beauty. Beauty was to him divine; one of the ways in which God communicates himself to humanity. One of the greatest sculptures ever created, it stands as a timeless icon for the Christian faith, bringing inspiration to the millions who visit St. Peter's Basilica every year.

Regarding the Pieta, Georgio Vasari, the great art historian wrote:

"It would be impossible for any craftsman or sculptor, no matter how brilliant, ever to surpass the grace or design of this work, or try to cut and polish the marble with the skill that Michelangelo displayed. It is certainly a miracle that a formless block of stone could ever have been reduced to a perfection that nature is scarcely able to create in the flesh."

Five hundred years ago Michelangelo unveiled what would come to be regarded as one of the world's great masterpieces of inspired art and perhaps the most beautiful sculpture ever created. Now, under exclusive license from the Vatican Observatory Foundation, this masterpiece has been recreated in a cast Carrera marble from a Vatican authorized mold of the original.This posthumous Pieta is a precise 1:1 casting that is faithful in every detail to Michelangelo's original.

The Mission of Atre Divine is to facilitate the placement of these sublime sculptures in settings where they can enlighten the minds and touch the lives and hearts of the faithful. We are blessed here at St. Anne Roman Catholic Parish to be one of those few settings where many will have the opportunity to experience first hand the beauty of the Pietá.

Published February 18, 2015 , Catechesis