Corbeau’s Eye at the Pathé Foundation: An Exhibition Celebrating the Cinematic Photographer Roger Corbeau

The Seydoux-Pathé Foundation pays tribute to Roger Corbeau, a renowned photographer of 20th-century cinema, with the photographic exhibition "Corbeau's Eye," open from October 23, 2025, to February 21, 2026.

For half a century, his camera was a fixture on the sets of major French films, capturing the iconic actors, actresses, and directors of his era. Renowned for his striking black-and-white portraits, Roger Corbeau was a true artist within the world of cinema. The Seydoux-Pathé Foundation honors his legacy with an exhibition showcasing his work for the first time, running from October 23, 2025, to February 21, 2026.

The exhibition L'œil de Corbeau brings together a series of black-and-white photographs taken between 1930 and 1980. In total, Roger Corbeau worked on nearly 150 films, rubbing shoulders with the biggest French stars and capturing powerful images. His portraits were known for their strength: with a single image, the photographer knew how to tell a story, set a mood, and share emotions.

As a teenager, Roger Corbeau fell in love with the world of cinema, collecting magazines, photographs and books. He began his career in the 7th art as a dresser and prop-maker for Marcel Pagnol. His talent for photography was soon spotted, and he went on to become one of France's leading set photographers of the 20th century.

He can be found on the sets of Jean Cocteau's Les Parents terribles and Orphée, Raymond Rouleau's Les Sorcières de Salem,Orson Welles' The Trial, Jean Renoir's Toni, Jean-Paul Le Chanois' Les Misérables, and more. Thanks to his camera and his style marked by contrasts, he created memorable portraits of Louis de Funès, Brigitte Bardot, Fernandel, Isabelle Huppert, Jean Marais, Jodie Foster, Jean Gabin, Annie Girardot, and many others.

This exhibition, which mainly features photographs and a few film clips, reveals highly polished portraits of the great stars of French cinema from the last century. Lovers of the seventh art and those feeling nostalgic will enjoy rediscovering these actors and the important films in which they starred. For younger visitors, these references may be much less familiar, but there is no age limit for appreciating Roger Corbeau's photographic work.

To discover or rediscover this great artist of the cinema, head to the Fondation Seydoux-Pathé to enjoy this photo exhibition, which takes us back to the great hours of 20th-century French cinema.

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