Masterpieces from the Torlonia Collection at the Louvre review

white marble bust — Bust of a drunken satyr, from the Tortonia collection, on public view at the Louvre

(Image credit: Courtesy of Fondazione Torlonia)

The Torlonia Marbles, encompassing over 100 statues, is the largest private collection of preserved ancient Greek and Imperial Roman sculptures to date. Named after the Torlonia princes in Rome who assembled the collection throughout the nineteenth century, the collection has recently been subject to an intricate restoration process and is now available to view for the first time outside of Italy, at the Louvre in Paris, the first stop on a world tour. The exhibition, organised by the Louvre Museum with the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Fondazione Torlonia, is supported by Bulgari as major patron.

white statues — La Fanciulla da Vulci, from Collection Torlonia

‘It’s a beautiful art with a very long history,’ says Bulgari CEO, Jean Christophe Babin, on why the cause was a natural one to support, pointing out the parallels between the art forms. ‘The art of the restorer is a bit like the art of the high jeweller - as we say, in Italian, it is an intelligent dance. You need to recreate the missing part of the body from original pieces.’

‘Masterpieces from the Torlonia Collection' is on show at the Louvre until 11 November 2024

louvre.fr

This article appears in the November 2024 issue of Wallpaper* , available in print on newsstands from 11 October, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Hannah Silver is a writer and editor with over 20 years of experience in journalism, spanning national newspapers and independent magazines. Currently Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*, she has overseen offbeat art trends and conducted in-depth profiles for print and digital, as well as writing and commissioning extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury since joining in 2019.