Wednesday, June 16, 2010

LDS Breastfeeding Art

OK, I had no intention of actually starting a blog, and this may be the only post I ever do, but in response to some recent comments about how being LDS means you should be too modest to breastfeed anywhere in public, I had to share.

The first time I went to the Cardston, Alberta temple after having my first baby, I noticed this painting in the Chapel.
It was done by A.B.Wright, a professor of art at the University of Utah, in the 1920's.  It is small here, so somewhat hard to see, but there are 3 breastfeeding mothers.  One is the woman in blue, sitting on the right.  the other 2 are in the background.  One of them has her full breast exposed.  This image is fromhttp://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=32332e4d12fdb010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=f318118dd536c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD



These are photos of one of the panels on the Seagull Monument on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Seagull Monument was designed and created by Mahonri M. Young, a grandson of Brigham Young, in the 1910's.


And finally, one we found just last weekend.  It is a painting on display in the Grandin Building in Palmyra, New York.  It is the site of the printing of the first Book of Mormon.
This one is called "Father Lehi Blesses His Posterity" and is by C.C.A. Christensen and was done in 1890.


I think the interesting thing in all of this, is that these were done 120-90 years ago, during what we consider to me more modest times.  And yet, it was perfectly OK to breastfeed your child.  That was not immodest.  Noone expected a woman to miss out on Jesus speaking so that she could go to another room and feed her baby.

There are also LOTS - dare I say hundreds? - of pieces of art work depicting Mary nursing her son Jesus.

OK, nuff said

Does anyone else have pictures?
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10 comments:

  1. fatwhitemaleJune 16, 2010 at 2:52 PM

    You'd think those who are uncomfortable witnessing breastfeeding would be at least as troubled by the display of breasts everywhere in a seductive context; advertising, the mall, public places etc, but no.

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  2. Mom's Sewing VaultJune 16, 2010 at 4:16 PM

    There's also "Handcart Compay," also by Christensen, where a woman is breastfeeding toward the left hand side, in front of a wagon wheel. :) Love it!! Sally

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  3. Mom's Sewing VaultJune 16, 2010 at 4:17 PM

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X_HUnNaFPAo/SMjyHV-63eI/AAAAAAAAAUc/TtBVv3_QcnU/s1600-h/handcart.jpg

    forgot the link

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  4. Tamsyn SpackmanJuly 7, 2010 at 6:28 AM

    The "Enos" Chapter of the scripture readers depicts a woman breastfeeding her son in a sling. It's the 6th picture down.

    http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=e36d5f74db46c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=6837c106dac20110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1&contentLocale=0

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  5. noelaniFebruary 28, 2013 at 3:55 PM

    I'm LDS and I breastfed all over the place! I did it discretely, so that no one who wasn't up close, staring, would have seen any of my breast, but people could probably tell that I was breastfeeding.

    I love the paintings! It is nice for people to see that, not so long ago, breastfeeding was the norm and was seen as nothing but the lovely act of a loving mother nourishing her baby.

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  6. Erin September 11, 2013 at 2:42 PM

    I breast fed openly too. I used my shirt or a thin blanket to cover. I felt more comfortable that way. But I did it wherever I happened to be when my baby was hungry. I did get a few comments. I ignored them. I'm pretty sure if you are driven to distraction by my breastfeeding, that's on you, not me.

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  7. J AlexanderMarch 14, 2014 at 9:58 AM

    Thank you! I got into a very heated argument with some other LDS ladies yesterday over this topic. You can nurse your baby without a cover and still be modest. I think the thing they really hate is seeing a baby attached to the breast because it is disturbing to them to think of breasts being used in a non-sexual way. Honestly, it is so ridiculous to ask a woman to leave room and miss a lesson so YOU can feel more comfortable. Why do they think they are more entitled to be in RS?

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  8. Heather VApril 30, 2019 at 12:03 PM

    Thank you for this!

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    Replies
    1. VeronicaOctober 2, 2019 at 11:31 AM

      Yes, I agree! This is a great conversation starter.

      Delete
  9. VeronicaOctober 2, 2019 at 11:28 AM

    Sadly, I have even heard of mothers relinquished to breastfeeding in the member closet in buildings that don't have a mother's room. Its where the janitorial supplies are stored, and not really a closet but more of a tiny room in some buildings. Judgement is not a window but a mirror. Someone else's quote, and the thought being that when we judge someone its because we ourselves are scared or are struggling with what we are so adamant about. So for example, if you are criticizing breastfeeding because you think its immodest, then you may be sexually attracted to it (or feel xyz: I couldn't physically breastfeed, breastfeeding wasn't popular when I was a mother, it arouses me, et cetera) and it makes you uncomfortable. You then hide those feelings with anger and judgement to divert attention from your struggle.
    Perhaps we can use those mirrors as a self-reflection/awareness of our actions and reactions. When we look into ourselves we can understand where our trepidation and concerns arise from, then look past them to be understanding of others with out projecting ourselves onto them.

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