VENICE—?Rome and the Barbarians, the Birth of a New World”—the first pre-20th-century show to occupy the Palazzo Grassi in Venice since Francois Pinault took over—presents a panoramic view of the conquests and cultural exchanges that took place between the Romans and various invaders throughout the Christian era’s first millennium. On display January 26 through July 20, is a cast of thousands—Roman rulers from Caesar through Constantine plus Goths, Visigoths, Franks, Lombards and Vandals?evoked through 1,700 rare objects lent by 200 museums and institutions. Among the standouts are the 1st-century white marble Portonaccio sarcophagus, carved with scenes of a battle between Romans and Germans; a gold bust of Marcus Aurelius, circa A.D. 180; and a 1st–century bronze, copper and silver statue of Jupiter. Testaments to the craftsmanship of the invaders include a 5th- to 6th-century belt, decorated with gold, pearls and garnets, from the Vandal treasure of Koudiet Zaateur and the Merovingian cloisonné gold Casket of Teudéric, A.D. 654–656, lent for the first time in its 1,400 years by the Abbaye de Saint-Maurice d’Agaune, in Valais, Switzerland. “The invasions and immigration were incontestably painful, but what came out of it was positive: a new civilization born of the Romano-barbarian association,” contends Jean-Jacques Aillagon, former Grassi director and now president of the Château de Versailles, who curated the exhibition.

"Culture Clash" originally appeared in the January 2008 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's January 2008 Table of Contents.