Merrymaking-in-Paris 1864

Vasily Perov created this painting called Merrymaking-in-Paris, its date is unknown, and it now resides in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. The image shows a crowd watching a performance: A black man hangs upside down while a performer points at him. The hanging figure, reminiscent of the Hanged Man tarot card, evokes themes of sacrifice and suspension, symbolizing a moment of profound transition or trial. This same image is found repeated throughout history: from religious art, such as the crucifixion of Saint Peter upside down, to more secular contexts, like scenes of public executions. The act of inversion, as explored by psychologists such as Carl Jung, can represent the turning inward to confront the shadow self, inviting a psychological exploration of suppressed aspects of the psyche. This psychological tension, combined with the theatrical setting, charges the artwork with an emotional intensity that captures the viewer's subconscious, reflecting society's evolving relationship with spectacle.