There have been numerous (and famous) sculptures and paintings depicting the Virgin Mary grieving over the body of her son Jesus as he lies dead in her arms. However, William Bouguereau is considered by many to be the best figurative classical painter in the world and this remarkable work of art surely enforces the fact. This high quality reproduction incorporates all the detail, style and ambience of the original oil on canvas painting created by William Bouguereau in 1876. Today the original is part of the collection at the Museum of Fine Arts in Dallas.

Bouguereau depicts Mary in black and red robes clutching her son to her chest. The body of Jesus is limp, lifeless in her arms. Angels clad in the colors of the rainbow and Bouguereau has ensured their ethereal bodies float and flow around them. A crown of thorns lies on the ground next to the Pitcher Mary used to wash her son – The blood of Jesus stains a pure white cloth next to the Pitcher. In the true style of the classic arts both Mary and Jesus have golden Halos.

Pieta by William Bouguereau is a symbolic religious masterpiece. The artist has ensured all these vital elements of the history of Jesus – His birth, his calling and ultimately his persecution are represented if not literally, symbolically.