French Mayor To Madonna: Please Loan Us ‘Lost’ Painting For 2028 Exhibition

The mayor of Amiens has posted a Facebook video asking Madonna to let the French city borrow a $1.3 million painting she acquired in 1989 which resembles a masterpiece that disappeared during World War I.

The plea comes more than a week after Le Figaro newspaper caused a minor sensation in the art world with a story that suggested that the Material Girl might be the owner of “Diane and Endymion”, a 19th-century work by the artist Jerome-Martin Langlois.

Figaro’s story was not definitive on the question.

The drama began in 2015 when a museum curator saw the painting in a photo of Madonna’s home in the weekly magazine Paris Match. The painting shows a small Cupid figure flying between Roman goddess Diana and shepherd prince Endymion.

Louis XVIII commissioned the painting for Versailles, and eventually, it made its way to the Louvre museum. Just before World War I, the painting was loaned to Amiens Fine Art Museum in Northern France, and it was believed to have been destroyed in the war.

An analysis by Le Figaro of Madonna’s painting revealed that while similar to the lost painting, it was also missing the artist’s signature and seemed to have different dimensions. A copy of the Sotheby’s auction catalog from October 1989 described the painting as a “replica,” according to The Washington Post.

In a video posted to Facebook, Amiens Mayor Brigitte Fouré made clear that she was not accusing Madonna of any wrongdoing and was not trying to challenge the legality of her purchase. Instead, she struck a humble tone and framed it as a request for a loan.

The city is hoping to be named the European Capital of Culture in 2028, and Fouré said it would be very meaningful to Amiens residents if they could exhibit the painting, whether it is the original or a copy.

“Madonna, you probably don’t know the city of Amiens, of which I have the honor of being mayor,” Fouré said in the video. “However, in the last few days, a special connection has been established between yourself and the city.”

Representatives for Madonna have not commented on the painting.