Tuesday, December 1, 2015

ALTEMPS PALACE - NATIONAL ROMAN MUSEUM (second part)

Ground Floor
ATRIUM OF ANTONINUS PIUS
The “Statue of Antoninus Pius (138/161)” 140/147 restored in the seventeenth century introduces the first part of the Ludovisi Collection
PASSAGE OF PLUTUS AND ZEUS
Heads of “Pluto” and “Zeus”
ROOM OF PORTRAITS
She was the daughter of Emperor Titus (79/81) who offered her as wife to her uncle Domitian, brother of Titus
He refused her as he was enamored of Domitia Longina. Julia later married Titus Flavius Sabinus
She had, however, an affair with her uncle Domitian already at the time of her marriage and Domitian, after the death of Titus and Flavius Sabinus, took Julia to live with him as husband and wife
Julia died pregnant and was deified. Notable in this portrait are the holes for earrings
The bust dates back to the seventeenth century and it is made out of portasanta marble
She was the daughter of Ulpia Marciana, the sister of Trajan (98/117) and mother of Sabina, the wife of Hadrian (117/138)
Hadrian transformed her into a goddess and even dedicated her a temple in 119. Such unbelievable love for a mother-in-law
“Julius Caesar” sixteenth century
“Prince” of the Augustan period (27 BC/14)
The nose arbitrarily restored gives a different aspect to this member of the Julio-Claudian family
“Demosthenes” second century AD
Copy from original by Polyeuktos pupil of Lysippus active in the third century BC
“Aristotle” Hadrian's period (117/138)
Copy of the bronze original by Lysippus (about 370/300 a.C.) commissioned by Alexander the Great
“Marcus Aurelius Ludovisi” with only the original Roman bust of porphyry and seventeenth century bronze head inspired by the Capitoline Hill Marcus Aurelius on horseback
This bust enjoyed great popularity and was mentioned in many publications
ROOM OF THE TOWER
Archaeological excavations
Fragments of Roman frescoes and artifacts of ceramic, glass and metals found here
ROOM OF THE HERMS
“Two Apollo Citaredo” first or second century AD, both restored in 1600 by Ippolito Buzio (1578/1659)
The head of the Apollo with the higher lyre, sculpted by Buzio just like the other, deceived Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717/78) who regarded it as the second most beautiful of antiquity after the one of the Apollo of Belvedere
“Six Herms” second century BC
“Decorative Vase”
“Fountain basin in ophite”
ENTRANCE HALL OF THE RIARIO PALACE
“Aphrodite of Cnidus” from an original of the fourth century BC by Praxiteles (about 395/326 BC)
The torso is original, limbs and head were sculpted by Ippolito Buzio
“Demeter”
HALL OF ATHENA ALGARDI
“Athena” or maybe Igea, restored by Alessandro Algardi (1598/1654)
HALL OF ATHENA PARTHENOS
“Athena Parthenos” I century BC with arms restored, signed by the Athenian Antiochus
ROOM OF SARCOPHAGI
Fake wallpaper of a medieval house
“Dionysiac Sarcophagus”
Two seated statues: “Muse” and “Female statue called Nymph”
RIARIO ROOM
“Veneziani Maenad” restored with a not relevant ancient head
It was found in 1777 at Tor Tre Teste near Via Prenestina. It belonged to an English nobleman
It has recently passed to the Italian state from the Veneziani family as payment “in kind” of inheritance tax
HALL OF ULYSSES AND POLYPHEMUS
“Fragmented relief with Ulysses”
In the center “Herculean Torso”
HALL OF DIONYSUS AND SATYR WITH A PANTHER
It was found in the sixteenth century in the Baths of Constantine on Quirinal Hill. Restored in the seventeenth century
NORTH PORTICO
“Colossal statue of the Dacian” in yellow marble from Tunisia with restoration parts in black marble
“Modesty” republican funerary statue
Altars and sarcophagi lids

No comments:

Post a Comment