Which sculptor created the work known as the Pieta?

• A. Auguste Rodin
• B. Gian Lorenzo Bernini
• C. Donatello
• D. Michelangelo

Answer: (D)

Recognizing who created this iconic sculpture hinges on knowing the artist behind the Pieta. This work is a marble sculpture that presents Mary cradling Jesus after the crucifixion, celebrated for its serene beauty and the Master’s command of stone.

It was carved by Michelangelo in the late 1490s, and it sits in St. Peter’s Basilica. Michelangelo’s skill with marble lets the figures feel weighty and tactile, while the drapery and the faces convey calm dignity, embodying the High Renaissance ideal of harmony between beauty and emotion. The other names belong to different moments and styles: Bernini is known for dramatic, dynamic movement characteristic of the Baroque; Rodin represents modern, textured, expressive sculpture; Donatello is an earlier Renaissance master whose work differs in tone and technique. Because of the combination of subject, carving technique, and the era’s stylistic traits, this sculpture is attributed to Michelangelo.