ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Paris Exhibition Explores Cinema's Depiction of Ancient Rome

exhibition · 2026-04-26

The 'Antiquité et Cinéma' exhibition at the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé in Paris, curated by Stéphanie Salmon and Pénélope Riboud-Seydoux, is open until March 29, 2025. Showcasing over 200 pieces from the Pathé archive alongside loans from the Cinémathèque Française, Cineteca di Bologna, and Museo Nazionale del Cinema di Torino, the exhibit delves into how cinema has portrayed antiquity. It features works spanning from 1903 to Francis Ford Coppola's 'Megalopolis', with highlights such as the chariot from 'Ben-Hur' (1959) and costumes inspired by 'Asterix'. The display also examines Italian silent films, Hollywood's sound transition, and the peplum genre (1949–1964), including 'The Robe' (1953) and 'Cleopatra' (1963), which saw a resurgence with 'Gladiator'.

Key facts

  • Exhibition 'Antiquité et Cinéma' runs until March 29, 2025 at Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé in Paris.
  • Curated by Stéphanie Salmon and Pénélope Riboud-Seydoux.
  • Over 200 works including photographs, posters, costumes, props, and film excerpts.
  • Pathé archive contains about 10,000 films, 9,000 silent.
  • Loans from Cinémathèque Française, Cineteca di Bologna, and Museo Nazionale del Cinema di Torino.
  • Highlights include the chariot from 'Ben-Hur' (1959) and Asterix costumes.
  • Covers films from 1903 to recent releases like 'Megalopolis'.
  • Herschel McCoy won Oscar for costumes in 'Quo Vadis' (1951).

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé
  • Pathé
  • Cinémathèque Française
  • Cineteca di Bologna
  • Museo Nazionale del Cinema di Torino
  • 20th Century Fox
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Paris
  • France
  • Rome
  • Italy
  • Bologna
  • Turin
  • Hollywood
  • United States

Sources