The Deposition (Pieta) at the Museo Dell'Opera del Duomo in Florence, Italy

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The Deposition (also known as the Florence Pietà, the Bandini Pietà or The Lamentation over the Dead Christ) is a marble sculpture by Italian High Renaissance master Michelangelo. The sculpture, on which Michelangelo worked between 1547 and 1553, depicts four figures – Jesus Christ's dead body, newly taken down from the Cross, Nicodemus (or possibly Joseph of Arimathea), Mary Magdalene, and the Virgin Mary. The sculpture is housed in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Florence. According to Vasari, Michelangelo made the Florence Pietà to decorate his tomb in Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. Vasari noted that Michelangelo began working on the sculpture around the age of 72. Without a commission, Michelangelo worked tirelessly into the night with just one candle to illuminate his work. Vasari wrote that he started working on this piece to amuse his mind and keep his body healthy. After eight years of working on the piece, Michelangelo would go on to attempt destroying the work in a fit of frustration. This marked the end of Michelangelo's work on the piece, and from there it found itself in the hands of Francesco Bandini, who hired an apprentice sculptor by the name of Tiberius Calcagni to restore the work to its current composition. Since its inception, the piece has been plagued by ambiguities and endless interpretations, with no straightforward answers available. The face of Nicodemus under the hood is considered to be a self-portrait of Michelangelo himself. This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open-source, community effort. If you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.