Introduction
In the history of art, one of the greatest sources of inspiration has been traditionally found in the figure of a woman. Reflecting the infinite range of female characteristics — beauty, grace, charm, mysteriousness, playfulness, placidity, and many others — the image of woman has been a central topic for artists, poets, sculptures, and musicians. Among all the feminine roles, the aspect of maternity appears one of the most significant, as it reflects the ultimate destination of a woman’s existence and allows revealing the widest range of emotions and characteristics inherent in women. The perfect instances of motherhood embodiment in the art are Michelangelo’s marble sculpture La Pietà dating back to 1499 and Dorothea Lange’s photograph Migrant Mother taken almost two and a half centuries later, in 1936. Together with possessing individual peculiarities rooted in the period and social conditions of their creation, both works of art demonstrate a striking semblance in the coincidence of their main message, that of the woman’s unconquerable strength in face of great misfortunes.
Description of La Pietà
La Pietà initially impresses by its life-size magnificence; created by young Michelangelo to order of the French Cardinal of San Dionigi, the sculpture group images the figure of the Virgin Mary holding in her lap the breathless body of her son Jesus Christ shortly after the Deposition from the Cross (Buonarotti). Mary’s body is fully draped in a cloak, the soft wavy folds of which are artfully crafted by the sculpture’s chisel and as if supporting the deceased Christ. The mass of the marble sculpture appears to be shifted to the left, where Christ’s body is located; but the seemingly broken symmetry of the sculpture is restored by the semantic accent placed to the right of the sculpture: Mary raises her left palm as if inquiring the heaven what she is to do in face of her grief. Michelangelo undoubtedly succeeds in imparting a special authenticity to the sculpture: the spectator can nearly feel the fineness of the bodies’ skin and the pulse that stopped in Christ’s veins.
Description of Migrant Mother
Lange’s Migrant Mother appeared by the decree of providence: the iconic black-and-white photograph was taken incidentally and portrays the moment when Florence Thompson sought shelter in a temporary pea picker’s camp on the roadside (Lange). Mother of seven children, Thompson is depicted among two of them, standing to both sides of her with their faces turned away from the camera; an infant lies in her lap, secured and protected by mother’s embrace. Located in the center of the classically triangular composition, Thompson’s face is additionally emphasized with the play of light setting it off against a blurred background. The collar of the woman’s old shirt is open, symbolizing her vulnerability to the world, and her troubled look is focused on an unknown object in the distance, giving away the insecurity she feels about whatever may come.
The similarities between the two works of art
The statue and the photograph are united by the common idea of motherhood embracing children at the moment of hardship. Both Mary and Thompson display striking courage and strength in face of woe, Mary’s being the death of her only son and Thomson’s being the economic hardship her large family faces (Buonarotti; Lange). Retaining their strength and restraining their pain and torment, both women stand up as protectors and supporters of their children, radiating resolution, perseverance, and courage, and thus representing a strong backbone for the support of the weak. In a way, both of them symbolize the suffering of humankind; Mary survives the ethical drama of her son’s death for the greater good, and Thomson struggles her way through the economic and social drama of surviving and providing her children with means for subsistence in a cold cruel world.
The differences between the two works of art
Along with all the similarities mentioned, the works of art possess a series of peculiarities that imparts an individual depth of meaning to each of them. Despite her mature age at the moment of Christ’s crucifixion, Mary is depicted unusually young — an aspect that gave rise to unfavorable comments which Michelangelo refuted by stating that Mary’s freshness and youth are the reflections of her virginity and divine perfection (Buonarotti). On the contrary, Thomson, whose image represents a generalized image of the Great Depression, appears as an embodiment of earthly perishability, with her face withered in the wind and deep wrinkles crossing her brow (Lange). Fighting off the daily hardship, she expresses bitterness, sorrow, and tension, while Mary in face of her tragedy preserves her humility before God’s will and takes the attitude of acceptance towards the distress. Thus Thompson may be viewed as an image of economic failure and disillusionment, while Mary represents divine grace and strengthening of her faith in the necessity of sacrificing her happiness for the greater good.
Conclusion
The greatest tragedy of motherhood is harm caused to children, be it death or deprivation of the basic means for survival, and the greatest exploit a mother can perform is keeping her strength and supporting her children during times of hardship by any means. Michelangelo and Lange succeed in their depiction of individual mothers at dramatic points of life as strong-willed personalities who do not give up and preserve their composure at the moment when despair is close, whatever the pain may be.
Works Cited
Buonarotti, Michelangelo. La Pietà. 1499. St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City.
Lange, Dorothea. Migrant Mother. 1936. Nipomo, California.