During his lifetime, Michelangelo sculpted four "Pietas," depicting that poignant moment when Mary receives Christ off of the cross. This Pieta, currently in the Vatican, was sculpted between 1498 and 1500 when the artist was in his twenties. Of the other three Pietas, today two may be seen in Florence and one in Milan. The Pieta in Milan was done when the artist was old, and it is interesting to compare the idealism of his youth with the "realism" of his later years.
In 1972, a vandal attacked this sculpture with a hammer. Fortunately, the priceless treasure was restored. However, today the statue is a bit less accessible, behind protective glass.
