VESPERBILD OR PIETÀ?

Considerations about Aleijadinho’s religious iconographic matrix

Abstract

Within the wide production of Antônio Francisco Lisboa, known as Aleijadinho, one stands the religious iconography produced in polychromed wooden sculpture out, having as main theme Our Lady of Piety and his sculpted groups. This
article aims at analyzing this iconography by establishing connections with the German matrix in its origin, which is defined in the Middle Ages as Vesperbild, or image of the vespers. In a more popularized strand, one arrives in Italy,
through the creation of Pietà, or piety image. Thus, the present article aims at analyzing, contextualizing and problematizing
Aleijadinho’s matrix by comparing Our Lady of Piety to Our Lady of Sorrows, as well as to some of the sculptures from the Passion Steps, in Congonhas do Campo, in order to show his dialogues with both German and Italian tradition.