From left to right: Portrait of Hadrian, about 130, Roman, Imperial Period, cuirass-bust Imperatori 32 Type. Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Fondazione Torlonia. Photo Lorenzo De Masi | Statue of a Goddess, known as the Hestia Giustiniani, first half of 2nd c., Roman, Imperial Period, Hadrianic Period. Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Fondazione Torlonia. Photo Lorenzo De Masi | Portrait of a Man, known as the Old Man of Otricoli, mid-1st c. BCE, Roman, late Republican Period. Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Fondazione Torlonia. Photo Lorenzo De Masi
From left to right: Portrait of Hadrian, about 130, Roman, Imperial Period, cuirass-bust Imperatori 32 Type. Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Fondazione Torlonia. Photo Lorenzo De Masi | Statue of a Goddess, known as the Hestia Giustiniani, first half of 2nd c., Roman, Imperial Period, Hadrianic Period. Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Fondazione Torlonia. Photo Lorenzo De Masi | Portrait of a Man, known as the Old Man of Otricoli, mid-1st c. BCE, Roman, late Republican Period. Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Fondazione Torlonia. Photo Lorenzo De Masi
See marble come to life! Gaze at the Roman emperors Marcus Aurelius, Hadrian and Commodus, and come face-to-face with Hercules, Bacchus and Cupid as you stroll among some of the most famous statues from antiquity.
These extraordinarily lifelike works originate from the most important private collection of Roman sculptures, assembled in the 19th century by the prince and banker Alessandro Torlonia (1800-1884). Recently shown to great acclaim at the Louvre, in Paris, they are now being presented to North American audiences for the very first time.
Featuring remarkably beautiful bas-reliefs, mythical figures and captivating portraits—such as the celebrated Maiden of Vulci—this ensemble of exquisitely carved Roman characters awaits you at the Museum. Following presentations at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, the exhibition makes its only Canadian stop at the MMFA. Don't miss this rare opportunity to see these masterworks before they return to Italy!
Portrait of a Young Woman, known as the Maiden of Vulci (detail), mid-1st c. BCE, Roman, late Republican Period. Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Fondazione Torlonia. Photo Lorenzo De Masi
Don't miss this rare opportunity to see these masterworks before they return to Italy!
Enrich your experience
We offer several ways to expand on your exploration of the exhibition’s themes. Check out our program!
Audio tour
Discover the masterworks of the Torlonia Collection in a new light with this captivating audio tour! Set against Baroque music, the vivid narration takes you back millennia to the time these sculptures were created and presents the many stories they have to tell…
Price: $11 | $8 for MMFA Members
Length: 75 minutes
In French and English
Interactive Creative Space
Open to all audiences, a mediation space invites audiences to explore the “life of a sculpture.” Through sight, sound, touch, and even smell, visitors can discover the history of Roman marble, encountering the fabrics, pigments, and fragrances that once enhanced ancient statues.
The space also includes a reading and discussion corner, along with a creative workshop where everyone is encouraged to bring mythological figures to life through collage and interactive video. The Museum’s mediators are on hand for you during weekends.
Publication
The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue produced by the Museum’s Publishing Department. Edited by Mary-Dailey Desmarais, the Zhao-Ionescu Chief Curator of the MMFA, along with Laura Vigo, this bilingual publication (French and English) traces the history of the Torlonia family and the development of their extraordinary collection. It also sheds light on the social significance and craftsmanship behind these masterpieces, which today form an exceptional cultural legacy.
Sold at the Museum Boutique and Bookstore.
MMFA Members enjoy a 10% discount on the retail price.
Statue of Crouching Aphrodite, 1st c., Roman, Imperial Period, Doidalsas Type, fine-grained crystalline marble with grey veins, 128 x 45 x 64 cm. Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Fondazione Torlonia. Photo Lorenzo De Masi
Statue of Cupid and Psyche, second half of 2nd c., Roman, Imperial Period, ancient: Greek marble; restored: fine-grained white and Pavonazzetto marble, 130 x 81 x 54 cm. Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Fondazione Torlonia. Photo Lorenzo De Masi
Statue of a Resting Goat, body: late 1st c., head: attributed to Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), Roman, Imperial Period, Trajanic Period, white marble, 95 x 134 x 71 cm. Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Fondazione Torlonia. Photo Lorenzo De Masi
Statue of an Emperor on a Throne with a Portrait of Augustus, 1st c., Roman, Imperial Period, ancient: Pentelic marble; restored: white marble and one fragment of grey bardiglio marble, 164 x 51 x 101 cm. Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Fondazione Torlonia. Photo Lorenzo De Masi
The Torlonia Nile, formerly the Barberini-Albani Nile, late 1st c., Roman, Imperial Period, Flavian Period, bigio morato grey marble, 148 x 230 x 80 cm. Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Fondazione Torlonia. Photo Lorenzo De Masi
Become an MMFA Member
Join the great family of MMFA Members from $46 a year. You’ll enjoy numerous perks and benefits, including unlimited free access to all the exhibitions and collections as well as a wide variety of events and activities.
Photo Thibault Carron
Credits and curatorial team
An exhibition co-organized by the Art Institute of Chicago and Fondazione Torlonia, in collaboration with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Kimbell Art Museum and The Museum Box.
The exhibition is curated by Lisa Ayla Çakmak, the Mary and Michael Jaharis Chair and Curator—Arts of Greece, Rome and Byzantium, Art Institute of Chicago (AIC), and Katharine A. Raff, the Elizabeth McIlvaine Curator—Arts of Greece, Rome and Byzantium, AIC. The Montreal presentation is curated by Laura Vigo, Curator of Asian Art and Archaeology at the MMFA.
Presenting Sponsor
Patrons
In collaboration with
With support from
Public Partners
Official Sponsors
Media Partners
Partners of Fondazione Torlonia
The MMFA wishes to thank
Portrait of a Young Woman, known as the Maiden of Vulci (detail), mid-1st c. BCE, Roman, late Republican Period. Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Fondazione Torlonia. Photo Lorenzo De Masi
Photo Thibault Carron
