Inside Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette Exhibition
In Versailles, at the Petit Trianon, the film comes back to life 20 years after its release.
Photography by Andrew Durham, from 'Making Marie Antoinette' (Important Flowers, 2026)
Courtesy of the artist and MACK.
In 2006, Sofia Coppola’s film reimagined the image Marie Antoinette had in the public consciousness. By placing the last queen of France’s youth at the forefront of the story — she was 14 when she arrived in France and married the future King Louis XVI — Coppola shone a light on how Marie Antoinette might have experienced being thrust into an impossible situation. The film became an intimate exploration of universal themes of isolation and societal pressure, while also capturing the beauty of girlhood.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the film’s release, the Château de Versailles has launched an exhibition dedicated to Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, running from now until January 24, 2027, sponsored by Cartier. Housed in the Petit Trianon, it features several of the decadent costumes created by Oscar-winning costume designer Milena Canonero, including the wedding dress, the 18th birthday party dress, and the white countryside clothing Marie Anoinette preferred to wear at the Petit Trianon. Visitors should also keep an eye out for a pair of lilac Converse high-tops tucked into the exhibition, a nod to the moment Coppola slipped them into the background of a shoe-shopping scene, turning them into one of the film’s most enduring symbols.
The exhibition also sheds light on the meticulous work of the production design team. Research folders reveal illustrations of the elaborate food sculptures built for the banquet scenes, alongside seating plans and fabric swatches that trace how each set came together. Within the porcelain room of the Petit Trianon shoe design mock-ups by Manolo Blahnik sit, and elsewhere the extravagant minature lit à la polonaise [Polish-style bed] built just for dogs makes an appearance, offering a rare look at how much craftsmanship went into building out Coppola’s Versailles.
Several of the behind-the-scenes photographs on display come from Making Marie Antoinette (published by Important Flowers), a new book by Andrew Durham Coppola’s long time friend and collaborator who documented daily life on and off set through to the film’s premiere at Cannes.
For those wanting to go even deeper, episode one of Masterpieces, Mastermind’s new podcast, is now available now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. In it, Coppola walks through the making of the film in great depth – a fitting companion piece for anyone visiting the exhibition.