About this artwork

Banksy is known for his controversial art, and Toxic Mary definitely falls into that category. It features Virgin Mary and her son, Jesus. She is letting him drink from a bottle that contains poison. Karl Marx said that "religion is the opium of the people', something people could lose themselves in so they wouldn't have to face the pain in their lives and the reality they are living in. Does Banksy have the same views on religion? Is religion a poison, passed on from generation to generation? Toxic Mary could be commenting on organised religion and how it is used to control the masses. Some say it is not as complicated as that, it is simply a piece that shows a toxic relationship between a mother and her child.