There have always been stories and songs to represent the bond between a mother and her child. Every religion, culture and nation has some form of tradition to express the connection between the two, such as the Pietà sculpture depicting the bond between the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus; and also the song "Danny Boy", which can be interpreted as a mother's lament over her son's enlistment in the army. During the Renaissance era one of the largest sculptures known as La Pietà was created by a young man named Michelangelo Buonarroti. The name “Pieta” is the Italian word for piety. The Renaissance period was a time of cultural growth, a progression in which artists attempted to create a more naturalistic approach to their work. Michelangelo's Pietà is an example of how the Renaissance period balances the ideals of classical beauty with naturalism (Wikipedia, 2011). In 1498 the French cardinal Jean Billheres commissioned the construction of the marble Pietà as his funerary stone. Although the Pietà has been built many times before, none compare to Michelangelo's. Many deliberate changes were made. The first difference is the proportion of Mary to Jesus. Some believe this is because it is difficult to depict a woman holding the body of an adult man, but Michelangelo's detailing in the statue is impeccable, which leads to the possibility that this is not a mistake. It is a similar scene to that of Mary holding baby Jesus, and perhaps some symbolism is being used here. Furthermore, perhaps he wanted to show how weak Jesus had become during his imprisonment. The artist made Mary appear at least thirty years younger than her true age would have been during Christ's crucifixion. When criticized for... middle of paper... a musical composition, style, tempo, and dynamics can describe much of the melody, much in the same way as the visual elements of a painting or sculpture. These design principles are a clue to the world of artists and the reasoning behind their creations. Works Cited H2g2. (31 August 2011). The legend and history of the song "Danny Boy". Retrieved November 12, 2011, from http://h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/A3826136Robinson, M. (n.d.). Danny Boy: the mystery solved! Retrieved November 12, 2011, from http://www.standingstones.com/dannyboy.html.St. St. Peter's Basilica.org (n.d.). Chapel of the Pietà. Retrieved November 8, 2011, from http://saintpetersbasilica.org/Altars/Pieta/Pieta.htmWikipedia. (2011). Pietà (Michelangelo). Retrieved November 8, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/piet%C3%AO_(Michelangelo)