Pietà Sculpture Group

Above the entrance to the Franciscan Church, Dubrovnik, Croatia

This is the typical Pietà in which Jesus' body lies stretched out on the lap of the Virgin Mary, who sits either in front of the Cross or on some sort of throne.

Above the pietà God the Father blesses the viewer. On the right, St. John the Baptist is identified by his camel-skin tunic and long cross.

On the left is St. Jerome with the lion that is his most common attribute and the maquette of a church seen in many of his portraits in Croatia. His beard is like those seen in other representations of St. Jerome: no broader than the face and reaching to mid-chest. The portrait seems to emphasize his humility and prayerfulness rather than his exalted status as a Doctor of the Church and adviser to the Pope. A pair of beads hangs from his (unseen) belt, his feet are bare, and instead of the usual flat-top hat signifying cardinals, he wears a simple cap.

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Photographed in the Placa by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.