The Louvre-Lens reveals the underground worlds of art

The fascination with the mysterious worlds hidden beneath the Earth’s surface is as old as man: from the depths of caves and ancient catacombs to tunnels dug in coal mines, these invisible spaces have shaped our collective imagination. The exhibition Subterranean Worlds – 20,000 Leagues Under The Earth, open to the public until 22 July at the Louvre-Lens, in France, proposes a journey towards these hidden kingdoms perhaps forgotten by contemporary man. Through over two hundred paintings, sculptures, engravings and other works of art, the exhibition delves into those invisible places that have always fueled our imagination, revealing the dichotomy between fear and inspiration, ignorance and knowledge. THE MYSTERIES OF THE UNDERGROUND WORLDS IN ART Ancient repositories of myths and legends, the underground worlds explored by the French exhibition embody the fundamental contradictions of the human soul, such as death and fertility, fear and love. Over the centuries, these hidden depths have inspired countless artistic creations in the most diverse cultures: in perfect harmony with the mining past of the department of Pas-de-Calais and Lens, the city hosting the exhibition, the works on display they explore the rich interweaving of underground narratives. The gaze of visitors is led through a whirlwind of images and suggestions, where the caves depicted by Gustave Courbet reflect the cycle of The Prisons by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, and the sculptural tension of Despair by Auguste Rodin echoes in the deformed bodies represented by Alphonse Mucha in The abyss. FROM PIRANESI TO RODIN, THE WORKS ON EXHIBITION Starting from the Sibyl’s cave, the visit route moves towards darkness to finally resurface in the light: an underground journey that reflects social changes, artistic currents and the constant change of perceptions within dark and fascinating environments.Recalling the journeys into the underworld of Orpheus, Dante and Virgil, or the more recent descents underground of the miners, visitors can discover multiple levels of meaning, facing their fears in comparisons with the unknown. In this way, the Subterranean Worlds exhibition invites us to reconsider our ancient relationship with the universes that live beneath our feet and within our imagination.[Immagine in apertura: Jean-Francis AUBURTIN, Chants sur leau © Paris Musees Petit Palais musee des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris]