Reflection on Art. Model of “La Madonna” by Federico Cantú

Abstract

Waiting in an IMSS (Mexican Social Security Institute) can seem like an everyday routine, and even a tedious act for many people, especially if illness has been a constant in their lives. But sometimes, amidst the ordinary, the extraordinary is revealed. That’s what happened to me one morning, when I first noticed Federico Cantú’s sculpture of “The Madonna.” It wasn’t just another decorative image in an institutional building; it was a powerful symbol that without words, communicated the essence of care, motherhood, and the identity of a people. This article is a reflection on that first glimpse, on the art that represents us, and most important how my own experience of being a mother redefined that figure that had gone unnoticed by me for so long.