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The Arts Intel Report

Recycling Beauty

The Colossus of Constantine’s right hand, from 312 A.D.

Nov 17, 2022 – Feb 27, 2023
Largo Isarco, 2, 20139 Milano MI, Italy

History repeats itself. And so does art history. In this impressive new show—curated by Salvatore Settis, Anna Anguissola, and Denise La Monica—Greek and Roman antiquities are placed alongside their replicas dating from the Middle Ages to the Baroque era. The centerpiece, a full-size replica of the Colossus of Constantine, sits proudly above the other monumental artifacts. It’s based on the original statue of the Roman emperor, which itself, it is presumed, was appropriated from an image of the pagan god Jupiter. Other highlights include seven Roman heads from different periods, which were re-commissioned for the façade of Palazzo Trinci in the 15th century. Greco-Roman heritage is, in the curator’s own words, “a key that provides access to the multiplicity of cultures in the contemporary world.” —Elena Clavarino

Photo: © Capitoline Superintendency for Cultural Heritage, Rome

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