Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection

Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection

https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/10257/myth-marble-ancient-roman-sculpture-from-the-torlonia-collection

  • not a natural collection of stuff. says more about the collectors than about the stuff inherently
    • very much a 19th century collection of roman statuary. reminds me a lot of the ny carlsberg glyptothek. emphasis on roman imperial portraiture, to the point of having a modern trajan bust just to have a complete collection. also copies of many of the most famous copied statues: crouching venus, leda and swan, 
    • also emphasis on canonical models of the 19th century. e.g. apollo restored to look like the apollo belvedere. the augustus of the beginning like the prima porta augustus
    • three different ram statues — they liked rams I guess.
      • odysseus with ram a bit like sperlonga odysseus statues.
  • portus relief
    • Definitely the highlight of the exhibit
    • Striking piece, unique in many details.
    • particularly interesting to me are the lighthouse and the arch with a statue group of elephants and chariot — landmarks of portus
    • mix of statues & ‘real’ figures: e.g. the poseidon in the middle is not a statue, to judge from the absence of plinth, but the portus at top left is a statue.
    • big boat: sail decorations (she-wolf, the baffling V L) are the only known ancient images of sail decorations, as far as I can tell. Casson 1959: 234-5.
  • how common are cupid and psyche statues? 
  • traces of textile work in the sarcophagus with labors of heracles
  • hestia giustiniani. Once the best known surviving exemplar of severe-style art, though now actual severe art has been found (e.g. the Delphi Charioteer). To my eyes the vertical, rigid folds of the peplos are more severe than actual severe art.
  • The standard explanation of the Attic votive relief is that it's a hunter with dog. The claim is that the rocky landscape in the background is the south slope of the Acropolis, and hence the building is the Asclepeion on the south slope; in which case the figures are Acelpius and Hygieia. I am unconvinced. Asclepius normally has a staff with snake, totally missing here.
    • e.g. https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en/relief-form-small-temple-and-portico
https://photos.app.goo.gl/AY9pc8ZbP7Bfr7HQ6

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