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The Color of Christ
And the Reflection of Man
La Pietà depicts the body of the crucified Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary. What do you see when you view this work of art? The agony of a grieving mother? The torn body of an innocent man? A necessary sacrifice? The hope that comes in the darkest hour?
Carved by the Renaissance sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti, La Pietà is housed in St. Peter’s Basilica, in Vatican City. It is the only piece that Michelangelo ever signed.
What is the color of Michelangelo’s Jesus? When he carved La Pietà, Michelangelo went to the Jewish Quarter of Rome to obtain his two models.
For the statue itself, he used the purest white Carrera marble. Like all white marble, La Pietà takes on different colors from the ambient light. I have seen photos where it appears light brown, or golden or even green.
What color was Jesus? When they nailed Him to the cross he was black and blue and bloodied all over. In the instant of the Resurrection he was a blinding flash of white light strong enough to burn His image into His shroud.
If the most urgent question you have about Jesus is what color He was — you have missed the meaning of His life.
Lest you accuse me of triviality, remember, I am from India. The birthplace of the Buddha. Siddhartha…
