MODERN QUEEN: Marking 226 years of her death — to the day — a Marie Antoinette exhibition opens Oct. 16 in the very place she spent her last days in confinement, the Conciergerie in central Paris.
Bringing together rare historical artifacts like her trial papers and modern artworks, “Marie-Antoinette, Metamorphoses of an Image” focuses on the myriad representations of the ill-fated queen, an endless subject perceived differently depending on the era and country.
The unique setting emphasizes her status as a legend, through all genres from classical portraits by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun to cult movies — Sofia Coppola’s 2006 romance an obvious one — and memorable runway shows — by Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano, among others.
Hated by French people at the time of her reign, loved as a pop icon in the past 20 years, in this day, Marie Antoinette could have perhaps become an Austrian influencer or hair tutorial YouTuber: more contemporary than ever, her image comes as one of female empowerment in a world of overexposure.
The exhibition runs through Jan. 26, 2020.
Bringing together rare historical artifacts like her trial papers and modern artworks, “Marie-Antoinette, Metamorphoses of an Image” focuses on the myriad representations of the ill-fated queen, an endless subject perceived differently depending on the era and country.
The unique setting emphasizes her status as a legend, through all genres from classical portraits by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun to cult movies — Sofia Coppola’s 2006 romance an obvious one — and memorable runway shows — by Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano, among others.
Hated by French people at the time of her reign, loved as a pop icon in the past 20 years, in this day, Marie Antoinette could have perhaps become an Austrian influencer or hair tutorial YouTuber: more contemporary than ever, her image comes as one of female empowerment in a world of overexposure.
The exhibition runs through Jan. 26, 2020.