From 16 October 2024 to 3 February 2025, the Louvre in Paris presents Figures of the Fool: From the Middle Ages to the Romantics, an impressive exhibition highlighting portrayals of fools. The image of the fool played a significant role in visual culture from the Middle Ages to the Romantic period but has rarely been studied from an art historical perspective. No fewer than eight artworks from our collection are on loan to the French capital, helping to tell the story of les fous. Our Fool by Frans Verbeeck was even selected as the official campaign image for the exhibition.

The exhibition features over 300 works, including sculptures, art objects (such as ivory and bronze figures), medals, illuminated manuscripts, drawings, prints, panel paintings, and tapestries. These artworks illustrate how the notion of folly inspired artistic creation between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries, both in literature and the visual arts.