A review of “Myth and Marble”, the Torlonia collection of Roman sculpture at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Germanicus, no date, bronze fragments, mostly plaster
Lots to see in this 19th C. collection of heavily restored ancient Roman marbles - and it’s clear that the collectors, the Torlonia family, shared the ancient Roman desire for decoration, entertainment, status, and politics - even if gods and goddesses were being depicted. Nothing here, however, rises to the level of the Belvedere torso that came to Chicago about forty years ago.
The gesticulating figure shown above reminds us of how the republican ideals of western civilization differ from all the other mega-cultures. We want our leaders to convince us with words —- not clubs, swords, or guns —-even if it has always been “more honoured in the breach than the observance”. Only some parts of torso and leg are original, and like most of the heavily restored pieces in this exhibit, overall mediocrity is excused by the authenticity of fragments.
Maiden of the Volci, mid-first century BCE
A few pieces do stand out, however - especially the portrait shown above - recalling the austere elegance of Francesco Laurana or Charles Despiau. As the Torlonia website declares: “Its extraordinary stylistic peculiarity makes this female portrait one of the longest-examined and most discussed works
in the Collection”
It comes alive and dominates the room - even from behind a heavy glass case.
..and rarely, for this show, it's 100% original,
in stark contrast to the following:
2nd Century
Gallery signage indicates how much of each piece is
original (white), modern (blue), or ancient but from a different statue (purple).
In this conglomeration, only the head and torso of the child are original. All three dogs were added more than a millennium later. It’s charming - but like the work of the highly skilled fabricators who work for Jeff Koons - it’s no more than a joke.
Portrait of Hadrian, c. 130
A majestic imperial portrait that compares well with the example in the Art Institute’s permanent collection:
Hadrian - Art Institute of Chicago
Sensual and crafty
strong, fair, and determined
But the strange and menacing figures on his armor are the best part.
120-130
Several of the female portraits felt as eternally present as the famous encaustics from Fayum, Egypt
150 - 200
The show includes two large sarcophagi - each depicting the labors of Hercules
160-170.
This is the better of the two,
but I’m doubting any of the 10-20 thousand other Roman sarcophagi
ever rose to the quality of the relief sculpture shown below:
Trajanic freeze on the Arch of Constantine, early 2nd century
The very best work was reserved for emperors.
Here’s what sat on top.
Neither ancient head is original,
but the male is so much a better fit than the female.
260-270
As you can see in the sketch above, this is the conglomeration of two ancient tubs-with-lions. I’d love to have it in my own backyard.
Early 2nd century, Hestia Giustiniani
Wow!
This feels so much like Art Deco from the 1920’s
I’d expect to find it in the lobby of a movie theatre from that era.
….. and it’s almost entirely original.
Gallery signage tells that this is in a retro archaic Greek style
But as we see below,
it’s quite different:
Peplos Kore, 530 BCE
This piece, staring straight ahead,
was made to interact with a supplicant,
and it’s like a burning torch of energy.
It belongs in a temple,
the Roman variation belongs in a garden.
Mid-first Century BCE
A fine Republican head, not especially enhanced by the later torso
100-300 BCE, Greek or Roman
Karl Malden? Gene Hackman?
The closest this exhibit gets to Hellenistic naturalism.
The brim of the hat feels clumsy,
but it’s oh so hard for one sculptor to continue the style of another.
Young Marcus Aurelius, 144-47
Faustina the Younger, 160
Classical props for a sword-and-sandals B movie
the Torlonia Nile, late first century
Belongs in an amusement park
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It’s no longer fashionable to augment ancient fragments with so much modern addition,
and maybe that’s a good thing. Often it’s just distracting. But those 17th- 19th century sculptors were often quite skilled and enjoyable in their own right.
This is the museum’s third exhibit of European classical figure sculpture in 18 months - and I certainly am grateful.
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Not my favorite pieces,
but we might note that this show has three nearly identical statues of Leda.
As found in
my online collection of Leda, the Prada and Getty museums have similar Roman pieces - and I dislike them all. Is the draped arm supposed to hide the shame of an avian lover? Were they customarily used to decorate brothels? I suppose every village had one - and aesthetics was never an issue.
