Speaker: Lisa Çakmak (The Art Institute of Chicago)

This lecture will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the long process of bringing a selection of works from the storied Torlonia Collection to the United States. The Torlonia Collection – formed in the 19th century by Prince Giovanni Torlonia and his son Prince Alessandro – is not only the largest private collection of Roman marble sculptures in all of Italy, but it is also arguably the most important of such private collections in the world. From large-scale figures of gods and goddesses, to portraits of emperors and magnificent funerary monuments, the 2025-2026 exhibition, entitled ‘Myth & Marble,’ brings to North America (with stops in Chicago, Fort Worth, and Montreal), for the very first time, a selection of fifty-eight, rarely-seen ancient Roman sculptures, presenting a unique opportunity to explore the fascinating stories these works of art reveal about both their ancient pasts and their modern afterlives.

From initial conversations with the Torlonia Foundation to working with the team at the Art Institute of Chicago to create a compelling and refreshing narrative, this lecture will share the complex processes and questions involved in organizing a major special exhibition at one of the largest museums in the United States.