Beyonce And Jay Z Tour Now At The Louvre
Fans and the art world lost their minds over Beyonce and Jay Z’s music video for “Apesh*t.” Social media was blowing up over the total Louvre takeover in the video. The shoot from this power couple’s joint endeavor was done at the Louvre in Paris, showcasing Beyonce and Jay Z’s taste for fine art at the world’s most prestigious art institution. It’s no surprise that the museum was easily on board with the notion prior to filming. Their last-minute request was accepted, despite tight deadlines. Now the Louvre is putting their own spin on these two stars. Artnet News has announced that visitors to the art museum can now get an “Apesh*t”-themed tour.
Since the music video’s release earlier this month, the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo have been viewed on YouTube over 7 million times. This self-guided tour is dedicated to the 17 sculptures and paintings that played the role of backdrops in Beyonce and Jay Z’s masterwork video.
Artnet News also reported on the filming of “Apesh*t” back in June. Apparently, the Carter family visited the Louvre four times over the past 10 years. Journalists from Artnet spoke with a spokesperson from the museum at that time, gaining insight to the Louvre’s reaction.
“During their last visit in May 2018, they explained their idea of filming. The deadlines were very tight, but the Louvre was quickly convinced because the synopsis showed a real attachment to the museum and its beloved artworks.”
Others have remarked on the importance and possible underlying implications of the Carters’ video. Kimberly Drew, social media manager for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, made her remarks on Twitter.
yes, it affirms that we *belong* in these spaces, but we have to remain curious about this choice. these performances could have been hosted at studio museum, project row houses, art&practice, caam, etc. but these white spaces are the ones that we see… pic.twitter.com/xbIcoM6Dpe
— Kimberly Drew (@museummammy) June 17, 2018
Featured first and foremost in the video for “Apesh*t” is Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, which is arguably the world’s most famous painting. Beyonce and Jay Z stand side-by-side, clad in matching suits for a shot in the music video. Also included in the video are artworks such as Theodore Gericault’s The Raft of Medusa, David’s Portrait of Madame Recamier, Oath of the Horatii, and The Intervention of the Sabine Women. Historical artworks featuring black figures are prominent in “Apesh*t.” One example is Marie-Guillemine Benoist’s Portrait of a Negress. A particular part of the video truly showcases what may have been the biggest example of advocating for the importance of the inclusion of persons of color in the halls of Western Civilization; Beyonce and a group of dancers stand facing the camera in a bold stance before Jacques-Louis David’s The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of Empress Josephine.
