by Zaha Redman
Girl from Vulci, marble, h. 70 cm/27.56 in. © Fondazione Torlonia - Photo Lorenzo De Masi
Giovanni (1754-1829) and Alessandro Torlonia (1800-1886) were descendants of an immigrant from Auvergne who was first a textile dealer, then a banker. They were bankers by day and the Dukes of Bracciano at night (for "night" read "lavish parties"). This is not just a simple selection of 100 works from over 600, but also the history of "a collection of collections"—i.e. a group that emerged from other, older collections split up, sold and bequeathed, and was also resulted from a policy of participation in 19th-century excavations. Read more
