Myth and Marble

A stunning look at major Roman marble sculptures in the Torlonia Collection

Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection invites you to explore the storied Torlonia Collection, one of the largest and most important collections of ancient Roman sculptures in the world. It boasts portraits of individuals and the imperial family, sculptures of gods and heroes, and large-scale funerary monuments. This book presents stunning new images of dozens of these sculptures, most of them dating to the height of the Roman Empire, and nearly half of which have not been conserved, photographed, displayed, or published since the nineteenth century. Essays introduce readers to Roman sculpture and visual culture through these works and connect the cosmopolitanism of ancient Romans with our experiences of their art today, to provide an engaging and fresh introduction to the Torlonia Collection.

Distributed for the Art Institute of Chicago

Exhibition Schedule:

The Art Institute of Chicago

(March 15–June 29, 2025)

Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX

(September 14, 2025–January 25, 2026)

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

(March 14–July 19, 2026)

Author Biography

Lisa Ayla Çakmak is Mary and Michael Jaharis Chair and Curator, Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium, at the Art Institute of Chicago. Katharine A. Raff is Elizabeth McIlvaine Curator, Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium, at the Art Institute of Chicago.