What do the northern French city of Amiens and pop star Madonna have in common? Brigitte Fouré, mayor of the city, doesn’t say much, as the international celebrity has probably never heard of the place. Despite this, Fouré firmly believes that the two are linked by a “unique bond” in the form of an early 19th-century painting that was displayed in the museum of Amiens until it disappeared during World War I.
The mayor of Amiens has requested that singer Madonna borrow a painting by Jérôme-Martin Langlois titled Diana and Endymion in hopes it will help the city win the title of European Capital of Culture in 2028. I suspect Amiens isn’t on your radar… Fouré says in her video appeal, “but there is a special bond between you and our city.”
She continues that it is likely that the Louvre loaned the photo to the Amiens museum before World War I, but that it was lost during the conflict. Louis XVIII commissioned the oil painting in 1822 for the Salon of Diane at the Palace of Versailles, and the French Republic bought it in 1873.
From 1878 until the city’s destruction in 1918, it was on display at the Musée des Beaux-Arts (now the Musée de Picardie) in Amiens. In 1989, the painting resurfaced at auction in New York, where Madonna paid $1.3 million for it, more than three times the expected price, according to a recent report in the newspaper Le Figaro.
An Amiens curator recognized Langlois’s painting against the backdrop of a 2015 Paris Match magazine portrait of Madonna at her home, even though no one in France at the time seemed to recognize it as painted by Langlois.
The Germans bombarded Amiens with shells and bombs for 28 days and nights in March 1918 as they tried to break through Allied lines, destroying much of the city, including part of the museum (from which paintings were rescued).
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The Langlois was not among the objects returned to Amiens after the war. One source said it was “destroyed by a bomb falling on the museum,” while another said it had been “untraceable since the return of the pieces removed in 1918.”
Given that the painting Madonna bought is 3 cm smaller than the one that disappeared in Amiens, art historians debate whether it is a replica and whether the signature and date were deliberately removed.
The museum has filed suit against “unknown persons” for the theft of the painting, but Madonna has nothing to worry about in this case, according to Fouré. Fouré writes to the singer: “It is clear that we have no doubt in any way that you obtained this material legitimately.”
Could you lend us this piece for the local community to rediscover and enjoy as part of our ambition to become the European Capital of Culture by 2028? That is my hope and prayer for you, the gift I offer. In December, the EU will announce which city will be European Capital of Culture in 2028.
According to the Guardian, Four revealed that she had recently discovered the possibility that Madonna owned the long-lost photo. “My first goal was to produce something light-hearted to get people talking about my city, especially now that the European Capital of Culture pre-selection is happening.
I thought the video would get some attention, but I didn’t expect to see so much interest,” she said. It occurred to me that it might be a good idea to ask her if we could temporarily borrow an artwork that has been in storage before the First World War. She now legally owns the painting because she paid for it at a legitimate auction.
I’m not asking that she donate it to us, just that she lend it to us for a short time for people around us to enjoy. Today, Amiens is best known as the birthplace of the French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte. When asked if Madonna should visit the city, Fouré answers yes. A visit from her would be incredible, but she doesn’t see it happening any time soon. “Yet here we are, with Amiens the subject of conversation among all.”
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