Le Figaro Celebrates its 200th Anniversary at the Grand Palais
France’s oldest national daily is celebrating its bicentenary. Over the course of three days, Le Figaro opened its archives to the public, inviting visitors to explore two centuries of history, debate, imagery and creative expression through an exhibition held at the Grand Palais.
An immersive exhibition featuring over 300 documents, including front pages, illustrations, historical photographs and texts by renowned authors (such as Proust, Mauriac, and Jean d’Ormesson) who wrote for the newspaper, will be open to visitors free of charge upon reservation. Conceived by Claire Blandin, professor at Sorbonne Paris Nord, and Guillaume Perrault, Le Figaro’s editor-in-chief for history, the exhibition has been organised around eight themed alcoves retracing key moments in the newspaper’s history. Among the exceptional works on display were the original manuscript of The Marriage of Figaro, written by Beaumarchais and on loan from the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and the celebrated portrait of Proust by Jacques-Émile Blanche, lent by the Musée d’Orsay.
At this landmark event in the history of journalism, political figures, media executives and journalists gathered alongside actors and cultural figures including Isabelle Huppert, Monica Bellucci, Fabrice Luchini, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Arielle Dombasle, Sylvain Tesson and Vincent Darré.
Photo: Jean Picon & Louis Liébert
