A Long-Hidden Collection of Ancient Sculptures, Myth and Marble, Makes a Rare Appearance in Fort Worth Next Year

Though many of the sculptures date to Ancient Rome, the Torlonia Collection’s trove of marble figures has only been accessible to the general public for the past four years. Amassed by the Torlonia family in the 19th century, the collection features more than 600 ancient Greek and Roman sculptures — some over 2,000 years old — that showcase the enduring beauty of ancient art. Now under the stewardship of the Torlonia Foundation, selections from the collection will make their North American debut in 2025, with stops at the Art Institute of Chicago, Fort Worth’s Kimbell Art Museum, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts through the exhibit Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection.

“By sharing these rare masterpieces with the public, the Foundation aims to deepen appreciation for and foster a renewed connection with the artistic achievements of the ancient world,” says Carlotta Loverini Botta, Torlonia Foundation’s director, in a release. “The universal spirit that has always informed classical art must continue to be nurtured for generations to come. It is a universal language that thrives on the ongoing reinvention of the classics through engagement with modern culture.”

Rarely Seen Works in Myth and Marble

Built by Franco-Italian banker Prince Giovanni Torlonia and his son Alessandro, the Torlonia Collection became the largest private assembly of ancient Roman sculptures. Prince Alessandro opened a museum in Rome in 1876 to showcase the family’s holdings, offering access to small, select groups of visitors. However, the museum closed during World War II, leaving the collection largely hidden for decades and familiar to most scholars only through a 19th-century catalog.

After nearly a century of obscurity, the collection emerged in 2020 with a landmark exhibition at the Musei Capitolini in Rome, where it drew over 600,000 visitors. The public showcasing continued with a celebrated showing at the Louvre, marking the first time the Torlonia sculptures were displayed outside of Rome. Kimbell Art Museum director Eric Lee emphasizes the significance of this extraordinary event.

“The opportunity to bring large-scale works of ancient Roman sculpture to the American public is extremely rare, and we at the Kimbell are grateful to the Torlonia Foundation for creating this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” he states. “This will be the first exhibition of ancient Roman sculpture in the Kimbell’s 52-year history and is all the more exciting because the legendary Torlonia Collection went unseen since the closing of the Torlonia Museum in the wake of World War II.”

An Ancient Story Told in Six Sections

The Torlonia Collection exhibition unfolds across six thematic sections, each offering a unique perspective on ancient Roman art and culture. It begins with Icons of the Torlonia Collection, showcasing historically significant pieces like the “Maiden of Vulci,” a rare example of early Augustan Roman female portraiture. Imperial Portraits highlights sculptures of emperors and elite women from the height of the Roman Empire, shedding light on the power dynamics of Roman society.

Other sections include Torlonia Excavations, featuring artifacts unearthed from the family’s estates, and Exceptional Restorations, which explores how Renaissance collectors, including the Torlonias, reimagined ancient fragments. Gods and Goddesses focuses on Greco-Roman deities, emphasizing the cultural interplay between Rome and Greece. The exhibition concludes with Funerary Sculpture, spotlighting monumental sarcophagi that immortalize personal identity and Roman traditions surrounding death.

Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection will be on display at Kimbell Art Museum from September 14, 2025, through January 25, 2026.