Pietà

The depiction of Mary holding the dead body of Christ, known as the Pietà, is one of the more popular pictorial motifs in medieval art. The name is derived from the Latin word pietas, meaning love in accordance with vocation. It is a reference to humble piety and loving obedience to the will of God. The performance, which draws on theological and literary descriptions, shows the suffering of a mother mourning the martyrdom of her son alone. As devotional figures depicting the close relationship between mother and son, the Pieta evoked emotion and religious feelings. In addition, they made the faithful aware of Mary's sacrifice and her agreement to offer her son, and thus of her importance and role in the work of redemption.

The origin of the sculpture, purchased for the museum's collection in 1976, is linked to St Mary's Church in Dąbie (now a district of Szczecin), based on verbal information from the previous owner. The figure shows clear parallels with the work of the Master of Osnabrück (c. 1500-1530), especially with his Pieta of Münster. The formal and stylistic features of the sculpture are characteristic of a group of works originating from Szczecin and the surrounding area, making it possible to attribute the attribution of the Pieta in question to a late medieval workshop in Szczecin, which made, among other things, the Passion altar from Dąbie.

The sculpture is presented in the permanent exhibition Mystery of Light. Medieval art in Pomerania.

Kinga Krasnodębska