Pietà II

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Pietà II by Michelle Keefe
[Medium: Black and White Charcoal on Toned Paper]

 


Michelangelo’s Pieta has always been particularly captivating for me. Every time I draw the Pieta, the details and nuances of the cloth and the figures—particularly the suffering face of Mary and the dead flesh of Christ—become meditative. In my own processing of grief, death, and loss, I often turn to Mary for her help and her strength, asking her “How did you do it? How did you ever let him go?”

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Michelle Keefe is entering into her 3rd year of the MAR degree at YDS, concentrating in visual arts. She is focusing on Early Christian art, particularly related to the early cult of Mary. She has been drawing and painting figures and portraits since 6th grade, thanks to a phenomenal art teacher’s gift of a sketchbook. She loves being observant and attentive to details, which aids her tremendously in her art, her research, and most recently in her enthusiasm as a birder.