Zoe Ortiz, assistant professor, department of history, University of North Texas, Denton
This talk explores how Roman marbles, such as those in the Torlonia Collection, traveled across time, from sacred landscapes in antiquity to the antiquities market of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Using examples from the ancient site of Gabii, Ortiz traces how excavation, restoration, and collecting practices reshaped these works into objects of devotion, erudition, and prestige. By following their journeys through antiquarian records, we can begin to revisualize the original contexts of statues now displayed in museums and reflect on how collections such as Torlonia embody the layered histories of Roman marble.
