collectors

Opposite Marble head of the god Apollo (Kassel type) found during excavations for the construction of the Opera House on the Viminal Hill in Rome. Roman copy of a mid 5th century BC original attributed to Phidias.

Museo Barracco: a head for sculpture

Having brought together ancient Roman, Greek, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian artefacts to create a museum of comparative sculpture, Baron Giovanni Barracco gave his collection of antiquities to the city of Rome in 1902. Now housed in a 16th-century palace in the Italian capital, the little-known Museo Barracco showcases ancient artistry and the activities of collectors, both at the turn of the century and in ancient Rome. Dalu Jones is our guide.