After he completed this commission, his colleagues in Rome were said to express disbelief that a young and relatively unknown sculptor could create such a remarkable work. It was the only sculpture he ever signed.
A work of art is a little like a suitcase, stuffed with issues, ideas and fragments of personal and cultural history. Each viewer who is willing to take the time might unpack it in a different way.
With famous works of art that have suffered from over-familiarity, the challenge to see them in a fresh light is even more pronounced. We tend to view famous works of art such as the Mona Lisa or the Pieta as icons rather than peculiar items of a particular time, place and spirit that remain mutable and alive when in relationship to the viewer. I found that although I had no real interest in the Pieta, that it never grabbed my attention in any particular way, it has followed me for many years and will not let me ignore it.
It has somehow implanted itself as part of my life as it has turned up in various guises and places. Its presence is now persistent enough that I think I need to tell the story. Part I: Mothering. My year-old daughter Rae has always fallen in love with rodents.
Her beloved rat Sunny had recently reached the very old age of 2 and one-half and was failing. For weeks he dragged around the cage, not eating or drinking. His back legs became partially paralyzed; he lost weight and his fur coarsened.
