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“Rosanna Madonna” painting  | | Gideon Polya/MWC NEWS |
“Rosanna Madonna” is a huge and joyous painting of Mother and Child in the beautiful Christian tradition dating back to the Early Christian era. This huge painting (1.3 metres x 2.7 metres) follows a series of previous polemical paintings I have created to foster Respect for Woman and for Mother and Child, specifically: “Manhattan Madonna” (a very sad memorial to the 9/11 tragedy and the ongoing Third World Holocaust: http://mwcnews.net/content/view/10766/26/ ); “Sydney Madonna” (a glowing painting which declares that Mother and Child transcend the greatest works of Man, such as the beautiful man-made landscape of Sydney Harbor: http://mwcnews.net/content/view/10865/26/ ); and “Melbourne Madonna” (that celebrates the simple joys of Mother and Child and ordinary living in Melbourne, now only recently supplanted by Vancouver, Canada as “most livable city in the world”: http://mwcnews.net/content/view/13950/26/ ).
All these Madonna and Child paintings have the same fundamental, universal message of Love and Respect for Mother and Child that is basic to all Humanity. Indeed love and care for Children other than our own is technically called “allomothering” (“aunt behaviour” for females of the species behaving in this way) and is found in social primates such as the great apes and Man, Homo sapiens. In his seminal book “The Selfish Gene”, Professor Richard Dawkins of Oxford University describes the evolution of female altruism by Darwinian natural selection. However, as explained by Dawkins, such evolution in Man has occurred through 2 mechanisms, one through selection for particular mutated forms of DNA-constructed genes (termed “alleles”) and the other through verbal and written transmission of ideas, or what he calls memes. Both mechanisms of behavioral evolution involve selection for traits that enhance human survival to reproduce and care for progeny. The transmission of survival-enhancing Memes can be seen in the great moral messages of Humanity such as the universal “thou shalt not kill” and the even more fundamental “thou shalt not kill children”. Respect for Mother and Child is far more fundamental than the inspiration of one particular religious faith. Indeed it is likely that we are “hard-wired” genetically to respect and care for Mothers and Children. This can extend to care for the infants of other species as evidenced by the true “wolf child” stories of Indian children cared for and raised by wolves. Indeed I observed this behavior recently at the launch of a painting exhibition - during the speech by an eminent Art Critic journalist the attention of everyone was diverted by the charmingly clumsy antics of a tiny, black, Great Dane puppy belonging to a member of the audience. Perhaps the most powerful “memes” in relation to Children - and hence implicitly in relation to their parents and especially their Mothers - are the words of Jesus in the Holy Bible. Here are some very well known injunctions of Jesus in relation to Care for Children and which He has presented very forcefully (the wonderful King James Version of the Holy Bible): Mark 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. Mark 10:14 Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God.15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. Mark 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. Mark 10:14 Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God.15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. Luke 17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
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