A new Instagram post with a mysterious Madonna and Child mural appeared on Banksy’s official Instagram account on December 16, 2024. The post ended a long period of silence after the animal series in London. This example of stencil art traditional for Banksy features Madonna with a Child in her hands. The notable feature of the mural is the rusted hole on the woman’s breast instead of the nipple, a source of vital force and breastfeeding for the child.
The metaphor for the rusting, empty hole instead of Madonna’s nipple has faced various interpretations. Some draw a parallel with a bullet wound, which evokes associations with the ravaging military conflict in the Gaza Strip. The link is seen by many as evident, as Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, a geographical area currently located on the Western shore of the Jordan River. The fact that the image emerged on Instagram around one week before Christmas also made people draw parallels between Jesus, Bethlehem, and the ongoing military activities.
New or existing work?
There is no clear data about the location of the Madonna and Child mural posted by Banksy on Instagram a month ago. Various experts voice various guesses about its location and date of creation. Some say that it was created before but was inaccessible to the general audience because of its private February 2024 sale in Spitalfields, London. Another guess is that if the linkage with Gaza events is proven, it may point to the mural’s location somewhere in the conflict-affected regions accessible to visitors.
What is the Madonna and Child mural really about?
While the mural’s association with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Gaza Strip dominates the public space, this is not the only interpretation people have developed in the absence of Banksy’s official commentary. Some also suggest that the metaphor is made to the poisonous nature of modern nutrition and lifestyle, which makes mothers toxic to their infants.
This interpretation links the 2024 mural created by Banksy in 2003, titled Toxic Mary. In that mural, the Virgin Mary was depicted as feeding the baby with a bottle filled with toxic liquid. This is yet another example of Banksy’s expressive art related to the pressing socio-political problems, ecological issues, and armed conflicts troubling humanity at present.
While the official representatives of Banksy—Pest Control—were contacted for details, the elusive, anonymous artist’s new work is unclear. His fans are left with guesses about the mural’s meaning, location, date of creation, and ownership status.