Pietà
- Artist: Antonio Correggio
- Date: (circa) 1520 - 1530
- Medium: oil on panel
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the "Pietà" by Antonio Correggio. Painted around 1520 to 1530, the piece is an oil on panel that already hints at the subtle handling Correggio would become known for. The canvas is relatively small, which gives the work a quiet, almost intimate quality—perfect for a close, contemplative viewing.
The date range places the painting in the early High Renaissance, a period when Italian artists were exploring new ways to capture emotion and realism. Correggio’s choice of oil on panel allows for rich, layered glazing, creating depth and softness in the figures. Even without a detailed iconographic description here, the title “Pietà” signals a traditional subject: Mary holding the dead Christ. Yet, Correggio’s rendition brings a distinctive tenderness, evident in the gentle play of light across the faces and the delicate folds of fabric.
If you look closely, you’ll notice the artist’s careful attention to flesh tones and the nuanced rendering of hair—techniques that would later influence many Baroque painters. The work remains a striking example of how early 16th‑century Italian masters balanced religious narrative with human sensitivity, all within the compact space of a panel.
See it in person
Pietà hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
