I recently came across a beautiful and touching sculpture entitled Los
Primeros pasos de Jesus, The first steps of Jesus. In a darkened corner of the
Prado Museum in Spain, a depiction of the toddler Jesus that is remarkable in its
poignancy, its humanity and its history. It shows the domestic rather than divine
and shows a chubby, beaming infant ambling towards his equally beaming father.
Its creator was the Spanish baroque artist Luisa Roldán who, despite becoming
the first female sculptor to the royal court in 1692, is only now making her
debut in the hallowed Madrid museum. The colored sculpture
shows a scene reminiscent of many households when a year-old toddler makes his
first steps, a massive achievement for any child and parent. With two angels
giving thanks for this great milestone, Mary holds the infant Jesus with a
cloth around his chest and below his arms, as he reaches towards his beaming
father, waiting for approval.
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