What is the meaning behind Stanczyk? A semiotic analysis of the back cover of Lady Gaga’s new album Harlequin.
Amazingly, the artist reached for a painting by Jan Matejko from 1862, which is well-known to Poles. Stanczyk during a ball at the court of Queen Bona in the face of lost Smolensk. You can see the painting at the National Museum in Warsaw. And listen to Lady Gaga’s new album on September 27. It is the soundtrack to the musical thriller of the new film Joker: Folie à deux, directed by Todd Phillips. It premieres in theaters on October 4.
Below is a brief denotative and connotative analysis of this back cover of Lady Gaga’s new album. I also conducted a commutation test looking for myths. I was assisted by AI software – The Semiotic Engine.
Denotative analysis
The image shows a bedroom in a state of disarray. In the center of the frame is a bed with yellow sheets, which is unmade, and pillows are scattered. Various objects can be seen on the floor: clothes, toys, trash, books and items of clothing. The room is illuminated by greenish light coming through the blinds in the window. On the wall above the bed hangs a crooked painting – it’s Stanczyk during a ball at the court of Queen Bona in the face of lost Smolensk by Jan Matejko in 1862. In the upper right corner you can see the list of songs from the album and their duration.
Connotative analysis
Connotatively, the album cover exudes an atmosphere of anxiety, chaos and intimacy. The disorder of the bedroom, the scattered objects, the unmade bed and the greenish light build a sense of abandonment and melancholy. And may symbolize the inner state of the person in the room – emotional disorder, reflexivity. Or perhaps even a moment of crisis or tension. The choice of greenish lighting may suggest alienation, inner rift or a strange aura of anxiety.
Matejko’s painting of Stanczyk introduces an additional key context – historical, political and emotional. Stanczyk is a tragic figure, a jester who was aware of Poland’s political situation and suffered the fall of his homeland while the rest of the court indulged in entertainment. His solitary figure immersed in reverie is a contrast to the chaos and carefree world around him. The image adds to the cover’s meaning of solemnity, historical weight and reflection on the state of the world.
Titled Harlequin, the album refers to the character Harlequin from commedia dell’arte. A tragicomic figure balancing comedy and sadness, which in turn resonates with the theme of Matejko’s painting. Coupled with the release of the film Joker: Folie à deux, in which Lady Gaga plays the role of Harley Quinn, there is an exploration of dualism. Comedy and tragedy, madness and introspection, art and everyday life.
Myth
The myth the cover builds is that of the “jester-sage” or “tragic clown”. Stanczyk, Harlequin and Harley Quinn are characters balancing on the edge of consciousness and madness. Each of them plays the role of a jester. But at the same time hides deep sadness and reflection on the surrounding reality. This myth can be applied to Lady Gaga herself as an artist, whose work combines elements of theatricality, irony, personal suffering and reflection on her own fate and the social condition.
Commutation test
By conducting a commutation test, that is, by changing one element of the cover, we can examine the impact of these changes on the message. If, for example, the crooked Matejko painting were replaced by another work, either less significant or more contemporary, the entire scene would lose its deep historical and emotional context. The painting of Stanczyk gives the whole scene a solemnity, melancholy and emotional complexity. Replacing it with another motif would have made the message more shallow, diminishing the duality between the chaos of everyday life and reflection on the individual condition. On the other hand, removing the greenish lighting and introducing a warmer color scheme could change the mood of the cover from one of anxiety and alienation to one of friendliness and serenity, disrupting the original atmosphere of isolation and introspection.
Conclusions
Lady Gaga’s Harlequin album seems to allude to themes of the complexity of human nature, self-reflection and madness as a form of expression. The coincidence of the album’s release with the release of the film Joker: Folie à deux underscores the theme of the duality between humor and tragedy, between art and reality, which Lady Gaga portrays in both her acting and musical roles. The album’s themes and its visual presentation focus on introspection, the struggle with one’s own demons, but also the affirmation of life in all its aspects – from the chaos of everyday life to deep reflection on fate.
The cover of Lady Gaga’s Harlequin album, featuring a painting by Stanchik Matejko, balances the chaos of everyday life. With a reflection on the state of mind and the social condition. It introduces the motif of the jester as a character full of contradictions. Both comic and tragic, aware of his own limitations and madness. In conjunction with the premiere of the film Joker: Folie à deux, the album becomes a visual and musical exploration of the duality of man. Artist and “crazy jester”.
