drawing; Painting
“It’s personal.”
What can I write about this painting besides that? “It’s personal.”
I can tell you the specifics, such that it was painted during the fall months of the year 2024. The paint is acrylic, and the canvas size is 36″ x 36″.
It is very much inspired by “The Madonna della Pietà”, a sculpture created during the start of the High Renaissance of the 15th century, by a then-twenty-something year old Michelangelo (see below). The pose depicted in this painting is slightly different than the Michelangelo sculpture. The body of Jesus is mostly on the ground, with Mary lifting up his body as if she had just found him there, and she displays a very pained look on her face. This was my first time working within a square format and the triangular nature of this subject. The background is a dark navy-charcoal. I see it as a cinematic moment, when the background goes dark, and there is only a spotlight on this moment.
One of the most notable differences between the two depictions of this sorrowful moment, is that in Michelangelo’s sculpture, he has placed the body of Jesus entirely in the lap of his mother Mary. There is an undulation of the deceased body as the torso is held up by Mary’s right arm, while the rest of his body lay across both legs of his full-bodied mother who sits fully covered in heavy folds of fabric.
The painting will be on display on the second floor of the Anderson Arts Center, 6603 – 3rd Avenue, Kenosha, WI; in the Lakefront Studios Room; from now through Sunday, January 5, 2025. Mini art prints (4″x6″) are available for purchase in the gift shop.
Christina Ann Rinaldi 