A Canadian artist recently unveiled a beautiful visual reminder that Christianity values babies in the womb.
World-renowned sculptor Timothy Schmalz’s latest piece, “Life Monument,” is an 8-foot bronze statue of a pregnant Mary lovingly cradling the unborn baby Jesus in her womb, according to the Catholic News Agency.
The Church of San Marcello al Corso in Rome, Italy, recently installed the sculpture as a celebration of the value of every human life.
Schmalz said he wants visitors who see it to recognize the beauty of the unborn child.
“Artwork has the power to persuade and convince and move people,” he told CNA. “The more representations we have of a mother and child … in our visual landscape, [the better].”
The statue shows Mary looking down lovingly as she cradles her pregnant belly. Schmalz also created a depiction of the unborn baby Jesus using polished stainless steel with a “mirroring effect” that “allows viewers to see themselves in the womb, as a reminder that their lives, too, started in a womb,” according to the report.
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A second, larger version of the sculpture currently is in a moving exhibit across the United States and eventually will be installed outside the Theological College of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., the report states.
Schmalz said he hopes people will view his artwork and think more about abortion and unborn babies’ value. It is beauty and love that persuade – especially on “touchy” subjects like abortion, he said.
“If I can move that dialogue one step closer to some understanding and love on both sides, then the sculpture is a great tool, it’s a great instrument,” he said.
Not his first pro-life sculpture, Schmalz has created numerous pieces that memorialize and mourn for unborn babies who have been aborted, as well as pieces that celebrate the unique bond between mother and child.
He said his artwork is like a visual prayer and his desire is to glorify Christ through his art.
