Gezicht op de Puerta de la Piedad in de kathedraal van het Heilig Kruis en Sint Eulalia in Barcelona c. 1851 - 1890

This photograph captures the Puerta de la Piedad, or Door of Piety, at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia in Barcelona. Above the doorway, a relief carving shows the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Christ in her lap, an iconographic representation known as the Pietà. The Pietà, as a motif, reaches back to ancient depictions of mourning goddesses and finds resonance in various cultures, embodying themes of sorrow and maternal love. Think of the ancient Greek depictions of mothers mourning lost sons. Such images serve as vessels for collective grief, tapping into our shared human experience of loss. The enduring appeal of the Pietà lies in its ability to evoke profound empathy and contemplation on mortality. Through the centuries, this symbol has been reinterpreted, yet its emotional core remains, a testament to the power of shared human experiences.