The best known, most photographed, most valuable: Leonardo da Vinci's Renaissance work is the painting of superlatives. While Louvre visitors have to elbow their way through rows of tourists to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa hidden behind a bulletproof glass, in the "Apes**t" video, the Carters pose as top icons of world culture in front of the uncovered work — as if it belonged to them.

The vaulted ceilings of the Galerie d'Apollon, one of the halls of the Louvre, were reconstructed after being destroyed in 1661 by a fire. At the beginning of the "Apes**t" video, the dramatic space leads us into the Paris museum. As a young author, Henry James once described the glory of this hall as embodying "not only beauty and art and supreme design, but history and fame and power."

Also called the Nike of Samothrace, this statue represents the Greek goddess of Victory. Created around the 2nd century B.C., it was damaged by an earthquake. Its mutilated body remains a timeless icon of art. It thrones over an impressive staircase at the Louvre, which in the clip provides a stage for dancers in bodysuits, and for Beyoncé, draped in white like the victorious goddess herself.

This larger-than-life-sized painting by Theodore Gericault is an icon of French Romanticism. It depicts an actual event from 1810: A French frigate called the Méduse was wrecked, and some 150 men tried to survive together on a raft. All but 15 died before being rescued; survivors had to resort to cannibalism. This tragic tale of survival echoes in some ways the fate of African-American slaves.

This imposing work of 10 x 6 meters (33 x 20 feet) was created by Napoleon's official painter, Jacques-Louis David. It took him three years to complete the detailed scene, in which the emperor crowns himself, facing the congregation instead of the authorities of the Church. Beyoncé and her voluptuous dancers add an impressive layer of discourse to Napoleon's own glorification.

"Portrait of a Negress" was painted six years after revolutionary France had abolished slavery in its Caribbean colonies in 1794 — Napoleon however reinstated it two years later. The painter, Marie-Guillemine Benoist, one of David's students, painted this portrait that's become not only a symbol of black people's rights but also of women's emancipation.

Juliette Récamier was one of the most famous socialites and one of the most admired women in Paris in the early 19th century. The chair she is reclining on in this unfinished portrait by David is named after her. In the video clip, models dressed just like the woman in "Portrait of a Negress" pose in front of the painting.

Featuring a scene from Dante's Inferno, Francesca embraces her wounded lover Paolo. During a suspenseful moment of silence in the video clip, this painting from 1835 is juxtaposed with images of a modern-day African-American couple kissing on a bed.

One of the largest sphinxes outside of Egypt, this monumental sculpture of a lion with the head of a king is at least 4,000 years old. As the guardian of temples, the figure of the sphinx was believed to protect against hostile forces. Experts believe that the term sphinx derives from "living image"; the Carters also contribute to reviving the iconography of the artwork acquired in colonial times.

This Greek representation of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, beauty and pleasure, is another one of the most famous statues of the Louvre, and its missing arms have certainly contributed to its fame. In the video, Beyoncé shows us how the Venus' body might groove if it had all of its limbs — and if it weren't a marble sculpture.