This sculpture depicts Mary holding the body of Jesus Christ after the Crucifixion.  The work was commissioned by French Cardinal Jean de Bilheres.  It was meant to serve as the cardinal’s funeral monument, but was moved to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.  The sculpture was created by Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti at age 25.  It is the only piece Michelangelo ever signed.  He finished the piece in under two years.  The statue is six feet long and nearly as tall, sculpted out of Carrara marble.  This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 3.0 Uported License.