Event—Adult Education

Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture

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View ancient art with fresh eyes.

A marble statue of a woman with her left arm raised.

Statue of a Goddess, known as the Hestia Giustiniani (MT 490), Roman, Imperial Period, first half of 2nd century CE, Torlonia Collection, Rome. © Torlonia Foundation

Class Description

In spring 2025, the Art Institute of Chicago will present the exhibition Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection.  These masterpieces, including imperial portraits, representations of Greco-Roman deities, figures of “ideal” beauty, and intricate reliefs, will be on view to the US for the first time. This seminar will take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity to explore these works within the context of fresh insights on Roman art and will conclude with an exclusive tour of the Myth and Marble exhibition, led by Dr. Lisa A. Çakmak, Chair and Curator of the Art Institute’s Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium department and co-curator of the exhibition, as well as Jeff Nigro, who has served as a Research Associate for the exhibition. 

Jeff Nigro is a Research Associate in the Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium at the Art Institute of Chicago, and in that capacity he worked extensively with the curators on the exhibition Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection. 

Materials List

Required

  • Digital Course Packet

First Reading

  • Read Eve D’Ambra, “Is Beauty Divine? A Reassessment of the Portraiture of Sabina,” Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome 65 (2020): pp. 132-171.

A Brief Syllabus

  1. Portraiture: The Imperial Image
  2. Greek Originals and Roman “Copies”
  3. Guided Tour and discussion of Myth and Marble at the Art Institute of Chicago, 9:00 to 11:00 AM

Cost and Registration

3 sessions, $200 ($180 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.

We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($200), Community Supported ($190), and Sponsor ($210). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.

To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.

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