Michelangelo carved the Pieta around 1499. Before his most famous statue, other pietas, statues of Mary holding her crucified son, portrayed her as grief stricken and the body as gruesome. Michelangelo instead gave her a peaceful face and Jesus a magnificent body.

"If life pleases us, death being made by the hands of the same creator should not displease us," Michelangelo wrote.
If there is a more beautiful statue in the world, I am unaware of it. When in high school, I had the opportunity to visit Rome with my Latin club, and I saw this masterpiece in person. One never forgets seeing something like this. I assume most everyone will know this work, but if you need a reminder, google Michelangelo's Pieta.

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