By Brigit Katz/Smithsonianmag.com
In the early 19th century, an aristocratic Italian family began amassing a vast collection of Greek and Roman sculptures. The Torlonias acquired ancient marbles and bronzes, models and casts, depictions of gods, and portraits of emperors, building an astonishing private trove that eventually came to number 620 statues. For years, these relics remained largely hidden from both scholars and the public. But now, the Torlonia Collection is set to make its grand debut.
As Naomi Rea reports for artnet News, 96 sculptures from the family’s cache will go on display at the Palazzo Caffarelli, part of Rome’s Capitoline Museums, in March. From there, the statues will be sent on a world tour; the American and European venues have yet to be announced.
“The 96 objects have been chosen for their quality but also for their history,” says Carlotta Loverini Botta of the Torlonia Foundation, which was founded in 2014 to manage the collection, to the Telegraph’s Nick Squires. “There are statues of Apollo and Aphrodite, satyrs and a wonderful collection of busts of Roman emperors, including Hadrian, Commodus, Vespasian, and Scipio Africanus.”
This elusive horde of ancient treasures traces its origins to the Torlonia family’s acquisition of works owned by 18th-century sculptor and ….Read Full Article at SmithsonsianMag.com
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