On the west side of the transept is a Pietà by Giovanni
Dupré, noted 19th
century Italian sculptor. Dupré created this
Pietà
in 1860-65 for the family tomb of the
marchese Bichi-Ruspoli in the cemetery of the Misericordia, Siena.
It was awarded the
Grande medaille d'honneur
at the International Exhibition in Paris of 1867.
In 1871, Dupré made the only replica of his
Pietà, two-thirds of the size of the original, for St.
Gall's Church; Mrs. Harriet Cramer
of Milwaukee was the generous donor. The sculpture is
marble,
showing Christ in the arms
of Mary at the foot of the cross. There's such passion and drama in
this sculpture that many consider it Dupré's finest work.
