Pietà

Every time I see pictures of this sculpture, my heart breaks a little. It is my favorite sculpture. Michelangelo carved it when he was only 21. Many people refused to believe that he carved it so he carved his name across Mary's chest. I had a very difficult time finding a good picture of the Pietà online. I have the most beautiful photos of this sculpture in a book titled The World of Michelangelo by Robert Coughlin and the editors of Time-Life books. The photos are by Arnold Newman. These are both his. I prefer his photo of the sculpture to others I have seen because it is taken at an angle so Christ's face is visible.
The Pietà is buffed to a high gloss. The figures are out of proportion due to the difficulty of fitting a full grown man across Mary's lap. Mary is depicted as being much younger than she would have been when Christ was crucified. The folds in the fabric are incredibly detailed and I can't help but believe that they would move if I touched them. Mary's face is so serene and peaceful as she gazes at the body of her dead son.
I don't think you need to be Christian to appreciate the Pietà. The skill alone is enough to inspire awe in any viewer and almost anyone can imagine the pain and sadness inherent in the act of a mother cradling her murdered son in her arms.
I'll never be able to comprehend how Michelangelo could look at a solid block of marble and see this inside of it.