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Etruscan Art from the Louvre
Beginning in 2013*
Etruscan Art from the Louvre will be the first major exhibition in the United States to examine the art of one of the ancient world’s most mysterious and compelling civilizations. Drawn from the acclaimed holdings of the Louvre by renowned Etruscan scholar Françoise Gaultier—a curator in the Louvre’s Department of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities—the exhibition will comprise approximately 330 exquisite objects dating from the ninth century B.C. to the first century B.C., the period during which the Etruscan civilization prospered. Included will be such masterpieces of Etruscan art as the Sarcophagus of the Spouses, as well as urns, amphora, terracotta pottery, bronzes, plates, candelabra, fragments of frescoes, hand mirrors, statuettes, sarcophagus lids, jewelry, and sculpture. The Louvre’s Etruscan holdings are unparalleled outside of Italy, and this will be the only time this magisterial collection will be available to travel. The first major civilization in Italy, the Etruscans lived in self-governing cities and evolved over a millennium—from the end of the Bronze Age through the end of the Roman conquest in 264 B.C. Today, little remains from their civilization, and their history has been mostly reconstructed from objects left in tombs. A surge of interest in the Etruscans at the beginning of the nineteenth century led to a number of major archaeological discoveries in the region of central Italy, formerly known as Etruria; Vulci at the end of the 1820s; the necropolis at Cerveteri a few years later; the Regolini-Galassi tomb in 1936 in the region of Vesuvius; and another tomb in Vulci, unearthed in 1957. Many of the objects in the exhibition come from these archaeological sites. The second collaboration between the AFA and the Louvre, Etruscan Art from the Louvre will provide new perspectives on the daily life and culture of this complex, urbanized, and wealthy civilization while giving greater visibility to the Louvre’s world-class collection. The Campana collection, a cornerstone of the Louvre’s Etruscan holdings acquired in 1861, will be the core of the exhibition. Assembled by the Marchese Giovanni Pietro Campana from excavations carried out by the Italian collector’s orders, the collection includes statues, bronzes, terracotta figurines, and about 3,500 pottery vessels. The exhibition will also include extraordinary examples of bracelets, clasps, scarab rings, necklaces, earrings, and pendants from this spectacular collection. Etruscan Art from the Louvre will travel to 3 venues. *This is when the tour is expected to begin. The exact date will depend upon the needs of the participating institutions. For more information, contact Interim Senior Curator Lisa Small at 212.988.7700 ext. 225 or lsmall@afaweb.org. You may also contact Temporary Curatorial Assistant Anjuli Lebowitz at 212.988.7700 ext. 216 or alebowitz@afaweb.org The exhibition is organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Musée du Louvre. |
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