Vandalism at the Vatican: An Attack on the Pietá
By Mary Manfredi
citation: Manfredi, Mary. “Vandalism at the Vatican: An Attack on the Pietá.” The Coalition of Master’s Scholars on Material Culture, September 10, 2021.
The Pietá is one of the quintessential pieces of the Italian Renaissance and a work of immense religious and cultural significance within the Vatican's collection. Every year, millions travel to the Vatican to view Michelangelo's Carrara marble sculpture, which depicts a youthful Mary holding the battered body of her son, Jesus Christ, after his crucifixion. With its distinct proportions, masterful use of perspective, and impeccable sense of realism, the work is noted for powerfully conveying intense Christian themes of Jesus's divine humility and Mary's loving maternity. In May 1972, this work would fall victim to one of the most horrendous acts of iconoclasm in art history.
In May 1972, Laszlo Toth entered St. Peter's Basilica with a rock hammer hidden under his rain coat. Over the course of two minutes, Toth succeeded in committing one of the most heinous acts of vandalism in art history.[1] To the horror of onlookers, the Pietá suffered significant damage as Toth smashed her left arm, nose, and eyelids. Shouting, "I am Jesus Christ!" Toth continued his assault while bystanders, including American sculptor Bob Cassilly, attempted to restrain him.[2] In the aftermath, hundreds of the sculpture's fragments lie scattered across the Basilica floor. The Vatican would stop at nothing to restore this devotional piece of world heritage.
Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) was a sculptor, painter, architect, and poet regarded by art historians as a master of the High Renaissance.[3] As a Christian, Michelangelo used his art to help convey the teachings of the Church.[4] One of the nicknames attributed to Michelangelo is "il divinio" (the divine one).[5] The name derives its meaning from his magnificent skill, but also illustrates how he brought celestial beings to the terrestrial level through art. He allowed devoted pilgrims to gaze upon key characters and teaching moments mentioned in the Bible.
On August 27, 1498, Cardinal Jean Bilheres de Lagraulas commissioned Michelangelo to sculpt the Pietá. The contract called for a, "virgin clothed, with the dead Christ in her arms, as large as a man, for the price of 450 papal ducats, in the space of a year from the day of the beginning of the work."[6] Pietá scenes were common to German and French artists of the period. Influenced by Renaissance trends however, Michelangelo departed slightly with his portrayal of the Madonna and Christ. He idealized the figures. Even though Mary was in her 40s at the time of the crucifixion, the artist makes her appear as a young woman who could miraculously balance her son's body on her lap. According to sacred scripture, Mary was pure, and born without original sin. Thus, her physical appearance is a manifestation of these Church teachings. In a similar vein, the portrayal of Christ adheres to this as well. Jesus is shown in a lifeless position. Instead of a rigid corpse he appears sleeping and defies the rigor mortis by retaining his muscle tonnage in his shoulders and calves.[7] It is the only known work signed by the great Renaissance Master. Along Mary's sash, he chiseled "MICHAEL* AGELVS*BONAROTVS* FLORENT*FACIEBAT.
No expense was spared to restore this masterpiece. Almost eight months after the destruction, Michelangelo's work was put back on display. Researches consulted an identical replica of the work that was put on display when the original was shipped to the 1964 World's Fair. Many of the marble fragments were returned by onlookers, but others were not. Most notably, Mary's nose had to be reconstructed from an out-of-view piece of marble on the backside of the sculpture. Some areas, like Mary's cheek, could not be fully repaired and slight signs of damage are still visible. Small hairlines throughout the work hint at the restoration. It is impossible to see these details today, because the Pietá is nestled 25 feet back from onlookers behind a panel of bullet proof glass.[8] This display was added after this attack.
Even though Laszlo Toth orchestrated one of the most notorious acts of iconoclasm, he was never charged with a criminal offense. In January 1973, Italian courts ruled that Toth was a "socially dangerous person" and moved him to a mental hospital.[9] Two years later he was released and swiftly sent back to Australia. Not much is known of Toth after his deportation. The vandalism he committed at the Vatican had permanent ramifications, putting a wall between devoted pilgrims and a magnificent masterpiece.
Endnotes
[1] Paul Hoffman. "Pieta Damaged in Hammer Attack." New York Times, May 22, 1972.
[2] Frank Peters, "Honeymoon Highlight - Punch for Pieta." St. Louis Dispatch. Aug. 11, 1972.
[3] Josef Vincent Lombardo, Michelangelo: The Pieta and Other Masterpieces. (New York: Pock Books Inc., 1965), 12.
[4] Josef Vincent Lombardo, Michelangelo: The Pieta and Other Masterpieces. (New York: Pock Books Inc., 1965), 27.
[5] Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker, "Michelangelo, Pietà," in Smarthistory, November 18, 2015, accessed September 01, 2021.
[6] Frederick Hart, Michelangelo: The Complete Sculpture (New York: Harry N Abrams Inc., 1968), 78.
[7] Laurie Schneider Adams. Italian Renaissance Art. (Hong Kong: Westview Press, 2001), 316.
[8] Paul Hoffman, "Restored Pieta Shown; Condition Near Perfect." The New York Times. Jan. 5, 1973.
[9] "Whatever Happened to Laszlo Toth, the Man who Smashed Michelangelo's Pieta in 1972?" The Guardian. Accessed September 1, 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/ query/0,5753,-2565,00.html
Bibliography
Adams, Laurie Schneider. Italian Renaissance Art. Hong Kong: Westview Press, 2001.
Harris, Dr. Beth and Dr. Steven Zucker, "Michelangelo, Pietà," in Smarthistory, November 18, 2015, accessed September 01, 2021. https://smarthistory.org/michelangelo-pieta/
Hart, Frederick Michelangelo: The Complete Sculpture. New York: Harry N Abrams Inc., 1968.
Hoffman, Paul. "Pieta Damaged in Hammer Attack." New York Times, May 22, 1972. https://www.nytimes.com/1972/05/22/archives/pieta-damaged-in-hammer-attack-assailant-with-hammer-damages-the.html
Hoffman, Paul. "Restored Pieta Shown; Condition Near Perfect." New York Times, Jan 5, 1973.
Peters, Frank. "Honeymoon Highlight - Punch for Pieta." St. Louis Dispatch. Aug. 11, 1972. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11541006/cassilly-saves-the-pieta/
Lombardo, Josef Vincent. Michelangelo: The Pieta and Other Masterpieces. New York: Pock Books Inc., 1965.
" Whatever Happened to Laszlo Toth, the Man Who Smashed Michelangelo's Pieta in 1972?" The Guardian. Accessed September 1, 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/notesa ndqueries/ query/0,5753,-2565,00.html