The image of the Virgin Mary cradling the body of the crucified Jesus known as Pieta (“pity” in Italian) is a sacred art motif transcending ethnic, religious, political, social, and cultural boundaries. You would have to have a heart of stone not to feel empathy and compassion for a mother mourning the death of her only son—especially when he is an innocent victim of injustice. For the season of Lent, I have chosen four depictions of Mary lamenting over the slain Christ from the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Self-Taught Polish Folk Artist Marianna Wisnios offers us a Pieta in a naif style, where Mary holding the out-of-scale body of Christ brings to mind images of the Madonna and Baby Jesus. Indonesian Painter Martinus Sumbaji has created a boldly expressionistic Lamentation scene with swiftly applied, paint-laden brush strokes. Nigerian Illustrator Oluwaseyi Alade emphasizes the physical suffering of Christ in a detailed and heart-rending view of Golgotha, drawn in her trademark pointillist style. By contrast, American Artist Janet McKenzie, known for her inclusionary art transcending stereotypes of race and gender, depicts the Virgin Mother (above) mourning her beloved son with quiet grief and a measure of spiritual serenity This quartet of international Pieta artworks can be found in the Station XIII: Christ is Taken Down from the Cross page of The Stations of the Cross gallery in the Themes of Faith section. (John Kohan)