On the morning of December 16, anonymous street artist Banksy posted a photo on Instagram of a mysterious artwork depicting the Virgin Mary breastfeeding baby Jesus. Notably, the image features what appears to be a drain hole with a rust-red stain, not Mary’s drain hole. Nipples, causing gunshot wounds or other injuries.
The post’s cropped image composition and lack of captions sparked multiple theories in the comments section, with many users suggesting the artwork was symbolic of ongoing deadly attacks against mothers and children in the Gaza Strip. Others believe the article may be a commentary on hazardous chemicals and the dangers they pose to our future generations.
The location and nature of the artwork remain unknown, with some suggesting it is not a new mural but an existing piece. In a Reddit thread about the artwork, one user claimed it was a stand-alone painting that was sold at a private buyer’s show in Spitalfields, London, last February.
There was no immediate response from the Office of Pest Control, Banks’ management team. allergicinquiry.
With so much room for speculation, and Banksy’s demonstrated solidarity with Palestine over the past two decades, it’s no surprise that commentators believed the street artist was alluding to dire conditions in Gaza. Banksy has previously incorporated Virgin Mary themes into his practice, such as Poisonous Mary (2003), a dripping stenciled image of the Virgin feeding her baby from a vial of poison that spawned subsequent spin-offs and print series, as well as the “Madonna con la pistola” mural in Naples, Italy. Both images use Mary’s likeness as a tool for social and faith-based criticism.
Scenes surrounding baby Jesus, a symbol of unity, have become polarizing this Christmas – last week, the Vatican came under intense scrutiny for commissioning a nativity scene designed and created by a Palestinian artist that included a turban lying in a manger model of jesus. Within days of the inauguration of the scene in the Hall of Paul VI, the model, manger and hood were dismantled.
