March 21, 1918: The northern French city of Amiens was under German bombardment for a month. The works of art from the Musée de Picardie are brought to safety, including an oil painting by Jérôme-Martin Langlois. A century earlier, commissioned by the king, he had painted the fabulously beautiful Diana on a 2×3 meter canvas, floating to her golden-haired lover Endymion. 11,000 grenades and 870 aerial bombs later, large parts of the city lay in ruins, including a wing of the museum, but the works remained lost.
October 24, 1989: A picture appears in the New York auction house Sotheby’s that looks confusingly similar to Langlois’s. However, the date and signature are missing and the canvas is a few centimeters smaller. Is this a copy or was the original cropped? The pop singer Madonna doesn’t care: she buys the painting for 1.3 million dollars.
December 15, 2022: The Mayor of Amiens, Brigitte Fouré, 67, submits the application documents for the nomination for the European Capital of Culture 2028. Whether the cultural offer of the former industrial city is sufficient for this? To be on the safe side, the politician turns one video message, in which she asks Madonna to loan the oil painting to her city for a period of time. So far no feedback. Instead, a few questions from the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
SZ: Ms. Fouré, if Madonna were on the other end of the line, what would you say to her?
Brigitte Fouré: That I don’t question the legitimacy of her property. She bought the painting at auction and paid a lot for it – she is the rightful owner of the artwork, no question. My only request would be: Madonna, only lend us your picture for a few weeks or months. That would mean so much to us in Amiens.
Why do you think Madonna paid so much money for it?
Think “Like a Vergin”! The painting goes perfectly with the song: the eroticism between the young couple, this innocence, the sexuality. The image is breathtakingly sensual, that must have tied Madonna up at the auction at the time.
Pop star, work of art – and art owner? Madonna.
(PHOTO: EDUARDO MUNOZ/REUTERS)
Why is the picture so important to you?
I’m less interested in the painting than in the Musée de Picardie. When it was commissioned by Napoleon III in the 19th century. was built, it was the first French art museum outside of Paris. Then it was hit by a bomb in World War I, many works of art were destroyed. To this day, the museum hasn’t really got off the ground. The painting would return some of the splendor to the museum.
Even if it’s just a copy?
Either way, the picture contributes to the cultural heritage of my city. Madonna has the only existing copy of the painting, whether it is the original or a copy.
If it were the original, it would be about art theft. Have you thought about filing a lawsuit?
For that, the painting would have to be owned by the city. But since it was drawn on royal commission, it belongs to the Louvre. He could sue for theft, but they’re not interested in that.
Amiens is the birthplace of the current president. Will Emmanuel Macron interfere?
I wrote him a letter on Tuesday. Emmanuel Macron lived here until he was 16 and he keeps coming back now. Whether he is interested in the painting, I cannot say. But his wife, Brigitte Macron, will definitely do her part. She was a teacher here for a long time and still has family all over the city.
Your city wants to be the European Capital of Culture. Is the cultural offer so thin that you have to rely on Madonna’s private collection?
No, we will be the Capital of Culture even without Madonna’s painting. We are the city of Jules Vernes, the most widely read writer in France. Although he was born in Nantes, he lived here.