Why it matters
The Virgin holds her dead son, his arms dangling and fingers limp: the kind of acute observation typical of Rogier van der Weyden. It has been compared in emotional force to his Descent from the Cross.
Did you know?
- It dates from around 1441.
- Tree-ring analysis dates the oak panel to 1431.
- Workshop versions are in London, Madrid and Naples.
Based on the Wikipedia article Pietà (van der Weyden) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
