Pieta Del Duomo

[Norman Watts <Norman_Watts@zzzzzzz>]

Clive,

Yes, I noticed that the figure of Jesus wasn't finished uniformly. In
fact, I wondered why the face was left less finished than the rest but
it seems (at least from the images I can find on web) that all the most
forward areas have the highest finish. I suppose the Body Of Christ was
the focus. Perhaps this goes with your notion of a body unable to
support itself.

As for the textures. I think you may be right about M's trying to
distinguish visually between Jesus and Nicodemus, at the transition
there is the smooth shoulder of Jesus vs the texture and fold on the
robe. Its not just an incut line. But I also know its very easy to
convince oneself of something, especially when dealing with either a
well-fitting explanation of the data, or an authority (both yourself
and the stature of M in this instance). I can't honestly say that I see
what you meant by a thoroughly comprehensive range of discisions. I
also can't say I felt my eye traveling in a particular way over the
sculpture as influenced by texture (the intent of my original
question), but then maybe I shouldn't expect that from a small digital
image of a photograph of a statue. Reminds of the poem about the
picture of a shadow of the statue of a man....

Other than the texture, to me the most striking features are the
obviously oddly angled limbs and the odd proportions of Jesus. Part of
that, I have read, was meant to correct for foreshortening when viewing
up at the statue. It also makes the image more surreal, and somehow
more naked and exposed, but I think that is my modern eye. I don't
suppose M would have looked at it that way.

n

Norman Watts, Ph. D.
National Institutes of Health
50 South Drive, Rm. 1509
Bethesda, MD 20892-8025
Phone: (301) 402-3418
Fax: (301) 480-7629