A monumental marble torso of Dionysos is on loan to the Getty Museum as a highlight of a special installation celebrating the ancient Greek and Roman marble and bronze sculptures from the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s collection.
Discovered in Italy in the mid-18th century, the torso was recognized as the god of wine by the skin stretched tautly across its chest. In the mid-20th century, the torso came to adorn the garden of Montecito, California collector Wright S. Ludington.
The sculpture joins a selection of other Roman copies of famous Greek originals. These heads and figures of heroes, athletes, gods, and goddesses include Achilles, Aphrodite, Apollo, and Athena. An over-life-size figure of Hermes presently undergoing restoration at the Getty will join the exhibition this summer.
The works in this exhibition are on long-term loan while the Santa Barbara Museum of Art is being renovated.
Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.