A mother breastfeeding her child – an intimate moment that since time immemorial has been depicted in various ways. Including as sculpture. In 2021, the 13th-century 'Maria Lactans' by Italian sculptor Brioloto de Balneo enriched the collection of M. An international masterpiece on a topical theme – now with its own focus room.
'Maria Lactans' will travel to the MAS during the week of October 9, where she - along with many other masterpieces - will be part of the exhibition 'Rare & indispensable' from October 31. The works by Joos van Cleve, Constantin Meunier and Huma Bhabha will remain on display in the focus room until October 29.
Evolution
From a rather wooden Mary on her throne to the baby Jesus who falls asleep from pure contentment – over the years, the iconography of the 'Maria Lactans' has undergone a true evolution. Where one artist chose a rather distant representation, another went for an intimate moment between mother and child. In the focus room, confronting the work of Brioloto de Balneo with a 16th-century painting by Joos van Cleve and a 19th-century sculpture by Constantin Meunier – a transhistorical representation of a theme with works from M's collection – makes this this evolution clear.
Universal
The theme of mother and child was too universal to disappear from art. Some works say something about religion, others about changing attitudes or the bond between mother and child. Even today, the topic is more than ever topical: just think of the discussions around public breastfeeding. Perhaps Brioloto, van Cleve and Meunier has something to teach us.
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