Sam Taylor-Wood aimed to convey a similar message as Michelangelo's Pietà however she chose to switch medium as well as the objective subject. Although the form is the same as Michelangelo’s Pietà, Sam Taylor-Wood has opted to use herself and Robert Downey Jr.. By doing this the piece is no longer the mother and son form, but instead further emphasising the dependence and reassurance that one can offer someone in need. As a part of the cultural context, when this photo was taken Robert Downey Jr. was in rehab for a heroin addiction. By bringing this cultural knowledge the artwork has a further implicit meaning which is the resurrection of a ruined man, which is very similar to the meaning behind the original artwork by Michelangelo.The contrast…show more content… Holding instead of eliminating I understand the autonomy of David. Although highly regarded as the idealistic body of the time, the form is physically impossible to achieve as Michelangelo added some muscles and bone which simply don't exist. However have used the same contrapasto pose, using the same body I have gained a better understanding about this idealistic body form and the blend of natural beauty with the idealism. Using the same technique as Sam Taylor-Wood I have gained a further understanding of her work. Using low lighting, low saturation and having the subject in the middle of the frame I have achieved as similar aesthetic to Sam Taylor-Wood’s Pietà. Additionally using the skin tones under white lights I understand why they are projecting onto Downey Jr.’s chest. This is to create the sense of death, as if the life, being the light, was being sucked out of him, only to be nurtured by Sam Taylor-Wood who has substantially less light on her. For my comparative analysis artwork I want to incorporate and reflect the knowledge I have gained through studying Sam Taylor-Wood and Michelangelo. To be more specific I want to harness the masculinity and power conveyed in David whilst capturing the emotion Sam Taylor-Woods technique
