Masterpieces from the Torlonia collection.
Louvre/Threshold| N° d'inventaire | 30910 |
| Format | 24.5 x 28.5 |
| Détails | 352 p., numerous color photographs, publisher's hardcover. |
| Publication | Paris, 2024 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9782021562835 |
The Torlonia Collection, assembled in Rome at the very end of the 18th century by Giovanni Torlonia, a wealthy banker and entrepreneur, and later by his son Alessandro, displays its masterpieces here, in an impressive series completed by a number of sculptures preserved at the Louvre. The collection of pieces of a very high artistic level allows an exploration of Roman sculpture through major genres (notably the portrait), production methods (Roman copies of Greek originals and the assimilation of their models), or specifically Roman typologies (sculpted sarcophagi). This parallel between the Torlonia Collection and that of the Louvre plunges us into the roots of European taste and the history of museums: on the one hand, a princely collection, enriched by several successive acquisitions of entire collections; on the other, a public museum of ancient sculpture opened during the Revolution. The collection of essays gathered here includes the best specialists in the field and traces the stages and challenges of collecting while illuminating the striking beauty of these unique works.
The Torlonia Collection, assembled in Rome at the very end of the 18th century by Giovanni Torlonia, a wealthy banker and entrepreneur, and later by his son Alessandro, displays its masterpieces here, in an impressive series completed by a number of sculptures preserved at the Louvre. The collection of pieces of a very high artistic level allows an exploration of Roman sculpture through major genres (notably the portrait), production methods (Roman copies of Greek originals and the assimilation of their models), or specifically Roman typologies (sculpted sarcophagi). This parallel between the Torlonia Collection and that of the Louvre plunges us into the roots of European taste and the history of museums: on the one hand, a princely collection, enriched by several successive acquisitions of entire collections; on the other, a public museum of ancient sculpture opened during the Revolution. The collection of essays gathered here includes the best specialists in the field and traces the stages and challenges of collecting while illuminating the striking beauty of these unique works.