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.
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
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
Hestia Giustiniani from Collection Torlonia
Il Vecchio di Otricoli_Milieu from Collection Torlonia
Il Caprone_IIe from Collection Torlonia
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