Fans have been thrilled by the level of detail, with many poring over the ‘easter eggs’ hidden in the image. Of these, perhaps most prominent of all is Matejko’s painting, set at a tilt above the bed.

With the room suffused in a foggy green half-light, as difficult as Matejko’s work is to discern, it is unmistakably his.

While Gaga has remained tight-lipped about why the picture was selected, Polish fans have been quick to point out similarities between Stańczyk and Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker character.

On Canvas

Completed in 1862, the painting is formally titled ‘Stańczyk during a ball at the court of Queen Bona in the face of the loss at Smolensk.’

Believed to have served as the court jester for three consecutive Polish kings—Aleksander, Sigismund I the Old, and Sigismund II Augustus—Stańczyk was more than a mere entertainer. Celebrated for his wit, intelligence, and wisdom, he earned a reputation for his prescient political and social insights.

In the painting he is seen mulling the fate of Poland after learning that the Polish stronghold of Smolensk (now western Russia) had fallen to the Russians.

Whether or not Stańczyk actually existed is a matter of debate, but either way, in the 19th century he found himself venerated by Poland’s greatest bards and artists. With Poland partitioned and erased from the map, the figure of Stańczyk was treated as a symbol of Poland’s patriotic struggle.

“The historical context of the painting is outweighed by its symbolic dimension,” writes art historian Ewa Micke-Broniarek on the website of the National Museum in Warsaw.

She adds: “During this courtly ball, amidst the general revelry, Stańczyk is the only one to look into the future with keen insight... By showing the court jester as a tragic thinker with an ascetic countenance, Matejko introduced him to the pantheon of heroes of national mythology, making him the personification of civic conscience, political insight and concern for the fate of the country.”

The subject of countless theses, the painting is riddled with meanings: the comet passing in the background has been interpreted as a portent of impending catastrophe, while others have suggested that the rumpled tablecloth symbolizes a change to the established order.

Looking carefully, one can also see a dwarfish man carrying a lute—associated with kings—that such an object is being carried by someone of such lowly stature has been seen as a reflection of the monarchy’s declining fortunes.

Now & Then

Matejko later added to his portfolio with epic paintings such as The Battle of Grunwald (1878) and The Union of Lublin (1869), impressive works that installed him as one of Poland’s best-loved artists—a reputation that he retains to this day.

Currently displayed at the National Museum in Warsaw (though due to temporarily depart on tour to the Louvre in Paris), the painting of Stańczyk was originally acquired by the museum in 1924 before being looted first by the Nazis and then the Red Army. In 1956, it was finally returned home to Warsaw.

Posting to social media yesterday, the museum wrote: “Shock! We thought he was off to Paris, but in the meantime he appeared on a Lady Gaga album!”

But it is not just lovers of the fine arts that appreciate the work; now exposed to a younger, contemporary audience thanks to its cameo on Harlequin, the painting has been enthusiastically received by Lady Gaga’s army of Little Monsters.

“[The painting] was the first thing that I noticed!” commented one fan. “Awesome,” wrote another. Prompting hundreds of comments from Polish followers as well, one asked: “Stańczyk, what are you doing here sweetie?”

The answer is not too difficult to determine. Appearing like a brooding enigma, a troubled genius, and a misunderstood outsider, parallels between Stańczyk and the Joker are impossible to overlook. Now, thanks to Lady Gaga, a symbol of Poland’s past has become inexorably entwined with modern pop culture.