Conférence La figure du fou au Moyen Âge

Figures of the madman, from the Middle Ages to the Romantics

Between the 13th and 16th centuries, the notion of madness inspired and stimulated artistic creation in both literature and the visual arts.
At the turn of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the figure of the madman became omnipresent, as seen in the art of Bosch and then Bruegel, while in the modern era, the figure of the institutional madman seems to gradually fade away. In the 19th century, the way in which the Middle Ages were viewed continued to evolve: the vision of madness was marked by the political and artistic upheavals of the time, giving it a tragic dimension.
This talk will revisit the exhibition recently presented at the Musée du Louvre (October 16, 2024 - February 3, 2025), which explored the medieval figure of the madman through its representations. The chronological and thematic exhibition featured over 300 works: sculptures, objets d'art (ivories, caskets, small bronzes), medals, illuminations, drawings, engravings, panel paintings and tapestries.

A lecture by Élisabeth Antoine-König, Chief Curator, Department of Decorative Arts, Musée du Louvre, in partnership with the Centre psychothérapique de l'Ain.
As part of the exhibition Fous de Dymphne, étonnantes histoires d'une peinture flamande, presented from April 5 to August 17, 2025

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