An American art collector claims to have found the original terracotta model for Michelangelo’s Pietà, the sculpture of Mary holding the lifeless body of Christ which can today be seen in St Peter’s Basilica.
Roy Doliner found the 12-inch high model in a box in an Italian antiques store, reports the Telegraph. It was covered in several layers of paint and was sellotaped together. It has taken three years to restore it. The model dates back to the fifteenth century and art experts have attributed it to Andrea Bregno [1418 – 1506]. However, Mr Doliner is convinced that its beauty and fine detail prove that it was made by Michelangelo Buonarroti himself, perhaps to convince a rich cardinal to give him the commission for the Pietà.
Michelangelo completed the Pietà in 1499 and it was commissioned for the funeral monument of the French Cardinal Jean de Bilhères, who was a representative in Rome. The sculpture was moved to its current location in the eighteenth century. Michelangelo carved his name on Mary’s sash after overhearing people attributing the statue to another sculptor. The sculpture depicts a young Mary and a serene Christ and there are various interpretations of this. It is one of Michelangelo’s most highly finished works.
Mr Doliner will unveil the model at a press conference in Rome on Thursday.
