Picasso Museum Decides Nursing Mothers Aren’t Just Waiting to Spray All the Art, Finally Allows Breastfeeding

The Picasso Museum in Málaga, Spain, has been barring women from breastfeeding on its premises on the grounds that breastfeeding could potentially damage the art, and that seems a little implausible. I am the first to admit that breastfeeding can be extremely messy, but still, a person would have to work pretty hard to spray a work of art that was more than a couple feet away from her.

Back in January a woman was reportedly looking at some of the art when her baby got fussy, and she decided to feed him. Then, according to The Local, a security guard came over and told her that breastfeeding was not allowed in the galleries, and that she’d have to go to the cafeteria. It’s a step up from being told to go feed in the bathroom, which is what usually happens in these stories, but the woman was annoyed and complained to the museum and a Spanish breastfeeding support group. That group maintains that she was not the first woman to complain about being barred from breastfeeding, which does not sound surprising, because the museum reportedly had a sign in front saying that food and drink were not permitted, including breastfeeding.

“These guidelines try to avoid all possible risks, and therefore we do not permit eating or drinking in exposition rooms, including for babies and small children,” said manager Guillermo Peiró.

Obviously they want to protect the art, but really, nobody is going to get breastmilk on the paintings. Mothers who need to breastfeed will just sit down on the benches, feed their babies, then go about their business. Plenty of museums all over the world allow breastfeeding, and if milk had ever damaged a masterpiece, I am pretty sure that story would have been everywhere.

But now, after complaints from some breastfeeding groups, the museum says it’s changed its mind and will allow mothers to nurse their babies wherever. Don’t go squirting the Picassos all at once, ladies. (You have to admit, it’s a funny visual.)

(Photo: Wikimedia)