Figures of the Fool - From the Middle Ages to the Romantics

Figures of the Fool

October 16, 2024 - February 3, 2025 Exhibition has ended
The fascinating figure of the fool, an integral part of medieval visual culture, has been studied in terms of social and cultural history but rarely from the perspective of art history, even though the idea of madness inspired and stimulated literary and artistic creativity from the thirteenth to the mid-sixteenth century from the 13th century to the mid-16th century.

This ambitious, thought-provoking exhibition will approach the typically medieval figure of the fool through its imagery. Over 300 ...
Exhibition catalogues

Exhibition catalogue Figures du fou Du Moyen Âge aux romantiques

MX031582
  • € 45
"Infinite is the number of fools"
Ecclesiastes , chapter I, 15

In the beginning was "the fool", a poor fool devoid of wisdom who turns away from God. Relegated to the margins, he leaves the religious sphere during the Middle Ages to flourish in the profane world and become in turn the one who entertains, warns, denounces, reverses values, or even overturns the established order.
Recognizable by his emblematic attributes - hood with donkey ears or cock's crest, bells, little bells, hobby horse, colorful costume -, this figure evolves over the centuries and is embodied in multiple avatars: court fools, fools of love or jesters then invade the entire Western artistic space.
From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance and up to the modern era, an exceptional journey through the art of Northern Europe brings together nearly 350 works as diverse as the characters they depict: illuminated manuscripts, printed books, engravings, tapestries, sculptures, precious or everyday objects and paintings by illustrious artists, such as Bosch, Bruegel, Géricault, Courbet...
Under the expert gaze of the greatest specialists, this work invites us to reflect on what the norm preserves and what it rejects. It proposes to reconsider some major articulations of history and art history, in the light of this figure who crystallizes worries and passions.
A dive into a world of madness that refers us to ourselves and to our relationship with the Other.

Exhibition "Figures of the Fool From the Middle Ages to the Romantics" at the musée du Louvre from 16 October 2024 - 3 February 2025.

French

456 pages
Co-publishing Gallimard/Musée du Louvre
More Details
Figures of the Fool - From the Middle Ages to the Romantics

Figures of the Fool

October 16, 2024 - February 3, 2025 Exhibition has ended

The fascinating figure of the fool, an integral part of medieval visual culture, has been studied in terms of social and cultural history but rarely from the perspective of art history, even though the idea of madness inspired and stimulated literary and artistic creativity from the thirteenth to the mid-sixteenth century from the 13th century to the mid-16th century.

This ambitious, thought-provoking exhibition will approach the typically medieval figure of the fool through its imagery. Over 300 works of art - sculpture, objets d'art (ivory, boxes, small bronzes), medals, illuminations, drawings, prints, panel paintings and tapestries - will be displayed according to period and theme.

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From the Middle Ages to the Romantics

The fascinating figure of the fool, an integral part of medieval visual culture, has been studied in terms of social and cultural history but rarely from the perspective of art history, even though the idea of madness inspired and stimulated literary and artistic creativity from the thirteenth to the mid-sixteenth century from the 13th century to the mid-16th century.


This ambitious, thought-provoking exhibition will approach the typically medieval figure of the fool through its imagery. Over 300 works of art - sculpture, objets d'art (ivory, boxes, small bronzes), medals, illuminations, drawings, prints, panel paintings and tapestries - will be displayed according to period and theme.

Arnt van Tricht, Couple amoureux, Clèves. Museum Kurhaus Kleve ©Museum Kurhaus Kleve
Hieronimus, Le concert dans l'oeuf. Palais des Beaux-arts Lille ©GrandPalaisRmn
Quentin Metsys, Fou avec une cuillère. The Phoebus Foundation ©The Phoebus Foundation
Konrad Seusonhofer, Armet à visage de fou d'Henri VIII d'Angleterre. Royal Armouries Museum ©Royal Armouries Museum

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