Motherhood in art

Motherhood is a topic as profound and recurring throughout the History of Art. From the earliest representations of maternal figures to more contemporary interpretations, the figure of the mother has been a symbol of fertility, protection, love, and sacrifice.

To understand this concept, it is necessary to go back to Prehistory, where so-called Paleolithic Venuses represent a clear example of the dramatization of the female body. The most well-known one, without a doubt, is the Venus of Willendorf, dated around 25,000 BCE. Its notable bulk suggests a possible connection to its functionality, although there are no conclusive proofs about its specific purpose. What is evident is that these sculptures, like others similar, are linked to fertility and fecundity, resulting in their importance within this cultural context by considering women as the means of survival for the species (Ortega Garrido, 2023, p.13).

In the earliest cultures, in Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations, motherhood was often associated with female deities that symbolized fertility and creation. In Ancient Egypt, the goddess Isis was closely linked to this role, being known among other things for the myth of her son Horus's birth. Childbirth and subsequent maternal care were of great importance during this period. There even existed a document collecting remedies against infertility (Arroyo de la Fuente: 2011, p. 2).

Focusing on the iconography of Isis nursing her son Horus, this bears a notable parallel with the Christian representation of the Mary of Milk, where Mary nurses Jesus Christ. This similarity is not coincidental, as both images symbolize protection. In both cultures, Egyptian and Christian, the idea of a nurturing mother who guarantees life and well-being for her child is conveyed.

In the Middle Ages, the concept of motherhood was shaped by specific roles and patterns that women were expected to follow in accordance with the historical and cultural context of the time. In the Alfonsine corpus, various ideas around the concept of woman as a mother and procreator are collected, as well as on family and marriage (Cecilia Quiroga, 2017, pp. 39-67). The figure of Mary with her child is one of the most iconic images of this period, as seen in representations of the Theotokos, where Mary appears holding the Child as her throne. This motif, widely developed in Byzantine art, links Mary to that concept of divine motherhood which contrasts with the Eleusa, where there is a conception of maternal intimacy and tenderness in the relationship between the two individuals.

With the arrival of Humanism, this idea of motherhood was transformed under this new current of thought. In Spain, representations of Mary of Milk, picking up on the previous parallel with Isis and Horus, continued to be popular and acquired a deeper meaning that transcended devotion. These images not only fostered this veneration but were also used as educational tools, to transmit those ideals about care and family values (Castiñeyra Fernández, 2019, pp. 8).

In the Baroque period, it is worth highlighting the combination of emotion and religious symbolism along with a human and intimate view of the role of motherhood. The authors also celebrated family life and the homey, close and earthly environment of the mother with her child; despite contrasting with the vivid symbolism of Piety.

However, it was not until the 19th and 20th centuries, with the arrival of new revolutionary currents, that representations of motherhood in popular and everyday contexts began to emerge, transcending figures of queens and religious themes. During these periods, artists, especially women, started exploring motherhood in scenes from daily life, showing women from different social classes in their role as mothers rather than idealized figures, even facing hardships or calamities or, in Frida Kahlo's case, depicting her own pain after an abortion. This closer and more realistic view reflected a change in the perception of this concept that was seen as a universal human experience and not just an idealized symbol of power or devotion.

In conclusion, motherhood throughout the History of Art has been a concept very much tied to its historical context, evolving from divine and symbolic images to more personal, everyday, and psychological representations. In contemporary art today, it is treated from a critical and feminist perspective, where one must highlight the work of the late artist Paula Rego: an artist centered on addressing social issues, sacrifices, challenges, and inequalities that mothers face as well. This current air, this consciousness that now pervades in the 21st century contrasts with that idealized role, for it is a much more complex idea that encompasses both beauty and pain, strength and resilience.

Bibliography:

Arroyo de la Fuente, Mª A. (2011). Divine protection of motherhood in Egypt. In Fernández Uriel P. & Rodríguez López I. (Eds.), Iconography and Society in the Ancient Mediterranean (pp. 53-65). Signifer Libros.

Castiñeyra Fernández, P. (2019). Mary of Milk: Archetype of Woman and Mother in Spanish Renaissance Painting. Panta Rei. Digital Journal of Science and Didactics of History, 129-159.

Cecilia Quiroga, L. (2007). Maternity in Alfonsine works, from conception to the birth of children . Cuadernos de Historia de España, 81, 39–67.

Ortega Garrido, N. (2023). Visions of motherhood in contemporary art: Analysis from a feminist perspective. University of Valladolid.