Are today’s madmen the same as those of the past? This is one of the many questions posed by the Louvre’s new major autumn exhibition, “Figures of Madness: From the Middle Ages to the Romantics,” opening on October 16, 2024. On October 2, 2024, Warner Bros. Pictures will release JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX, directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. At the invitation of the Louvre and in close collaboration with the museum’s team, Warner Bros., in partnership with Lady Gaga, has created an original video shot inside the Louvre featuring the singer. (Watch Video Below)
Inspired by her character Lee Quinzel, Lady Gaga wanders dreamlike through the halls of the Louvre, engaging in a Folie à Deux with the Mona Lisa, the most iconic artwork. The famous painting’s enigmatic smile takes on new meaning in reimagining a pivotal scene from JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX, interpreted by Lady Gaga.
This autumn, the Louvre presents a unique exhibition dedicated to the many depictions of madness in the visual universe from the 13th to the 16th century. Illuminated manuscripts, printed books and engravings, tapestries, paintings, sculptures, and every day or precious objects: between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the figure of the madman invaded the artistic space, becoming a fascinating, unsettling, and provocative symbol during an era of upheaval—not so different from our own.
Capable of both great and terrible things, the madman could entertain, warn, denounce, upend values, and even overturn the established order. The exhibition also explores the disappearance of the madman during the Age of Reason and Enlightenment, before his resurgence at the end of the 18th century and throughout the 19th. At that time, artists began identifying with the madman, asking: “What if the madman is me?” Today, the figure of madness finds new echoes in contemporary sensitivities, mainly through the character of the Joker, a modern interpretation of this archetype.
Though purely fictional and produced with measures to ensure the artwork’s security and integrity, this creation offers a reflective take on the status of the Mona Lisa, a Louvre icon protected by bulletproof glass since 1974. Frequently copied, reinterpreted, and reimagined, it has evolved into a contemporary icon over time.
Celebrated from the early 16th century for its astonishing lifelike physical and psychological portrayal, the Mona Lisa naturally lends itself to this reinterpretation centred on her famous smile. Leonardo da Vinci favoured this fleeting, ambiguous expression in his paintings, capturing a moment in motion and creating a dialogue with the viewer. The importance of this face-to-face interaction in da Vinci’s composition is at the heart of the video.The Louvre is a contemporary centre of art, a place of pleasure and boldness that nurtures the creativity of all artists. It offers an infinite playground for dialogues between cultures (from classical to pop) and between the arts (fine arts, cinema, music, dance…).
The exhibition Figures of Madness: From the Middle Ages to the Romantics is part of a more significant “Mad Season,” embodied by a rich and unique cultural program. This includes François Chaignaud’s creation Petites Joueuses, an immersive and continuous journey through the medieval Louvre, and a “Night of Madness,” a contemporary carnival featuring dance, music, and performances with artists like Zaho de Sagazan and Arthur H.
Top Photo: Courtesy Musée du Louvre
JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX, in cinemas starting October 2, 2024. Figures of Madness: From the Middle Ages to the Romantics, at the Louvre from October 16, 2024, to February 3, 2025.