Pietá

Pietà dates from an early period in Beuys's career when he was working at the Dusseldorf Academy as Mataré's master student. The themes of death, sacrifice and resurrection inherent within Christianity began to appeal greatly to Beuys at this time as a metaphor for healing. In conjunction with his constant biological studies and experiments, these themes began to dictate new sculptural forms. The Pietà with its theme of suffering and loss was one of Beuys's chief subject during this vital formative period for the artist.