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Most Pietas show Marys sorrow at losing her son but they show her as still youthful and beautiful, this image is not typical of that type, Bellini's madonna looks like the cares of the world are on her shoulder. You can see the sorrow in her face for the son she has lost, lying in her lap. She does not look young and youthfull she looks like a middle aged woman as indeed she would have been at the time of Jesus death. She holds her son tenderly in her arms, she only has eyes for his deaad form, he lies across her lap with his hair flowing loose behind him. In many ways the picture is a reminder of Madonna enthroned.. her son lies across the lap in the same way the new mother looks at her baby much the same as this depiction does. Whether Bellini meant the two paintings to be closely resembling other only he could answer that question.