arthipstory

Michelangelo carved these two out of the same stone. You know what I did today?! Cut construction paper into equal segments.

Awhile ago, I made everyone feel terrible about their twenty-something to-do list when I said Bernini’s carved Persephone at the age of twenty-three. Well, I’ve already written about the masterpiece that is the Pieta, but here’s some more trivia with which you can impress all yo’Tinder dates.

The Vatican released the work to be on display for the 1964-65 World’s Fair in New York. Crews made sure the priceless sculpture was well-equipped for the long journey by cushioning it with millions of microbeads inside a wooden box which was then place inside a metal outer shell. Mary and Christ were also packed with a flotation device for their Transatlantic journey, just in case! Though, these two clock in at three tons, sooooo that’s a lotta swim floaties.

The crew members responsible for packing and delivering the Pieta were under pretty strict orders to keep it under maximum security, so what do they do? Put a huge “P I E T A” stamp on the side of the stainless steel case. Swell, boys, no one will ever guess what’s in there!