Personification of the Nile, called the Barberini-Albani Nile, 69–96 CE, Roman, Imperial Period, Flavian Dynasty, Bigio morato marble. Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Torlonia Foundation. Photo Lorenzo De Masi
Personification of the Nile, called the Barberini-Albani Nile, 69–96 CE, Roman, Imperial Period, Flavian Dynasty, Bigio morato marble. Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Torlonia Foundation. Photo Lorenzo De Masi
The Torlonia Collection
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 life-like 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 will soon be presented to North American audiences for the very first time. Featuring remarkably beautiful bas-reliefs, mythical figures and captivating portraits – such as the celebrated Portrait of a Young Woman – 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 will make 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, mid-late 1st c. B.C.E., Roman, late Republican-early Imperial Period, marble. Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Torlonia Foundation. Photo Lorenzo De Masi
Become an MMFA Member
Join the great family of MMFA Members from $45 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 the Torlonia Foundation, 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, Chair and Curator of Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium at the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC), and Katharine A. Raff, Elizabeth McIlvaine Curator of Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium at the AIC. The Montreal presentation is curated by Laura Vigo, Curator of Asian Art at the MMFA.
Public Partners
Official Sponsors
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Partners of the Torlonia Foundation
Portrait of a Young Woman, known as the Maiden of Vulci, mid-late 1st c. B.C.E., Roman, late Republican-early Imperial Period, marble. Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Torlonia Foundation. Photo Lorenzo De Masi
Photo Thibault Carron
