Capitoline Flora

This terracotta piece is a reproduction, measuring just over half the height of the original, and featuring several differences from the renowned Capitoline Flora—a Roman sculpture discovered at Villa Adriana in 1744 and subsequently housed in the Capitoline Museums in Rome. The figure’s identification as Flora, the goddess associated with spring, is primarily attributed to restoration efforts by Carlo Monaldi. Monaldi reconstructed much of the floral wreath encircling the head and added the left hand holding the bouquet (Papini 2010, 474–481, n. 11). The statue has been highly regarded for its masterful depiction of drapery, with Johann Joachim Winckelmann referring to it as “one of the most beautiful statues in Rome” (Dodero 2017, 341). Since its discovery, this marble piece has enjoyed considerable acclaim and has been reproduced in various materials by numerous artists (Haskell, Penny 1984, 308–311). 
The sculpture under analysis belongs to a collection of terracotta works associated with Bartolomeo Cavaceppi (1716–1799), who maintained models by renowned artists alongside replicas of classical antiquities for various functions. Located on the Via del Babuino, Cavaceppi’s workshop was instrumental within the Roman art community and served as a significant center for the antiquities trade (Piva 2010, 59–64). Cavaceppi collaborated with prominent individuals, such as Winckelmann, adopting his aesthetic principles and applying them to the restoration and integration of ancient marbles.Widely acknowledged as the leading restorer of his era, he authored a significant publication titled Raccolta di antiche Statue (Collection of ancient statues, 1768–1769), which included examples of his restoration work (Meyer, Piva 2011).
Following his death, the sculptor bequeathed all of his working materials to the Accademia di San Luca, intending that his extensive collection of models and sculptures serve as educational resources for aspiring artists. Subsequent to legal proceedings initiated by the artist’s relatives against the Roman institution, a portion of the sculptures was acquired by the Torlonia family (Gasparri, Ghiandoni 1994). The terracotta pieces, which are reproductions of ancient works and often regarded as less significant, entered the Roman art market in the late nineteenth century. They were subsequently acquired by the tenor Evangelista (Evan) Gorga, an avid collector (Collezioni Gorga 1948; Cionci 2004). Following an agreement between the singer and the Ministry of Education, these items were incorporated into the Palazzo Venezia collections in 1949 and subsequently placed in storage. They were later “rediscovered” and formally returned to Cavaceppi in 1990 (Barberini 1994a, 79–84).
In comparison to the other version of the Capitoline Flora housed in the Museo di Palazzo Venezia (inv. 13393), this rendition of the renowned work displays significant variations from its prototype. These distinctions reflect a personal interpretation of antiquity that aligns with the antiquarian sensibilities of the period and offer an alternative to the modifications introduced when the marble was incorporated into the Capitoline Museums (Giometti 2011, 113, n. 124).The head closely resembles the bust of Faustina Minor housed at the Capitoline Museums in Rome. Notably, a replica of this bust, signed by Cavaceppi and produced between 1761 and 1762 for Syon House, the distinguished residence of Hugh Percy, Duke of Northumberland near London, is catalogued in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (inv. 1978–70–130). The ancient head is meticulously replicated, featuring its characteristic wavy hairstyle, a crown of flowers, hollowed-out pupils directed to the right, and finely detailed eyebrows. The fine eyebrow hairs are achieved by carefully incising the terracotta with a stylus. The arrangement of the arms does not correspond to that suggested in Monaldi’s restorations, but instead aligns more closely with Filippo Della Valle’s interpretation in his reproduction of the Capitoline Flora (Syon House). In this version, the left hand holds a bouquet of flowers while the right is open in an elegant gesture (Aymonino 2021, 176–177).Between 1761 and 1762, Cavaceppi produced a replica of the Borghese Ceres (a notable signed piece) for the Duke of Northumberland, faithfully replicating the original arrangement of the arms (Aymonino 2021, 176–177). This terracotta is of greater dimensions than the other example of Flora housed in the museum (inv. 13393). Additionally, a circular marking is present above the forehead at the centre of the head, accompanied by multiple small crosses on the surface, enhancing its functionality as a practical tool. These marks are strategically placed on prominent features, such as the tip of the nose and chin, or within recessed areas, such as the folds of garments. The pencil markings played a crucial role in transferring details from the model to the marble using compasses and frames, a technique extensively employed by Roman copyists and documented by Cavaceppi in his work Raccolta di antiche Statue (Cavaceppi 1768, vol. I).
According to the artist’s post-mortem inventory, the work is described as “a copy of the Capitoline Flora, four palms high” (Barberini 1994b, n. 25, 111). The pencil mark “164” on the pedestal corresponds with the model appraised at fifteen scudi, as documented by Pacetti in 1802 (B.I.A.S.A., Manoscritto Lanciani 5, f. 62v).

Valeria Rotili

Entry published on 16 October 2025

Good. The right hand is missing three fingers, and a portion of the right foot is absent, as is the corner of the pedestal upon which the figure stood.

Several repairs were carried out, probably around 1994

The number “164” is marked in pencil on the pedestal.

Rome, Collezione Cavaceppi, 1800;
Rome, Collezione Torlonia, 1800; 
Rome, Collezione Evangelista (Evan) Gorga, 1949;
Rome, Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Venezia, 1949.

Rome, Museo del Palazzo di Venezia, Bartolomeo Cavaceppi (1717–1719), January 15–March 15, 1994;
Rome, Fondazione Roma, Roma e l’antico. Realtà e visione del ‘700, November 30, 2010–March 6, 2011.

Archivio Storico Capitolino, Archivio Urbano, XXVIII, n. 167, f. 1001;
Roma, B.I.A.S.A., Manoscritto Lanciani 5, catalogs of the Collezione Cavaceppi, 1802–1810, f. 62v, n. 101;
Rome, Museo Nazionale del Palazzo Venezia, Inventari, book IX, 77v.

Collezioni Gorga. Raccolte archeologiche e artistiche, Roma 1948;
Howard Seymour, Bartolomeo Cavaceppi, Eighteenth-Century Restorer, New York-London 1982.
Haskell Francis, Penny Nicholas, L’antico nella storia del gusto. La seduzione della scultura classica 1500-1900, Torino 1984;
Gasparri Carlo, Ghiandoni Olivia, Lo studio Cavaceppi e le collezioni Torlonia, in «Rivista dell’Istituto Nazionale d’Archeologia e Storia dell’Arte», XVI, 1993 (1994);
Barberini Maria Giulia, “Delli modelli che si trovano nello studio Cavaceppi”. Le terrecotte del Museo di Palazzo Venezia, in Barberini Maria Giulia, Gasparri Carlo (a cura di), Bartolomeo Cavaceppi scultore romano (1717-1799), Roma 1994, pp. 79-84 (Barberini 1994a);
Barberini, in Barberini Maria Giulia, Gasparri Carlo (a cura di), Bartolomeo Cavaceppi scultore romano (1717-1799), Roma 1994, p. 95, n. 10; p. 111 (Barberini 1994b);
Cionci Andrea, Il tenore collezionista. Vita, carriera lirica e collezioni di Evan Gorga, Firenze 2004;
Piva Chiara, Bartolomeo Cavaceppi tra mercato e restauro, in Brook Carolina, Curzi Valter (a cura di), Roma e l’antico. Visione e realtà nel '700, catalogo della mostra (Roma, Fondazione Roma, 30 novembre 2010-6 marzo 2011), Genève 2010, pp. 59-64, n. IV.6;
Papini, in La Rocca Eugenio, Parisi Presicce Claudio (a cura di), Musei Capitolini, I, Le sculture del Palazzo Nuovo, Roma 2010, pp. 474-481, n. 11; Giometti Cristiano (a cura di), Museo Nazionale del Palazzo di Venezia. 4. Sculture in terracotta, Roma 2011, p. 112, n. 123; p. 113, n. 124.
Meyer Susanne Adine, Piva Chiara, L’arte di ben restaurare. La "Raccolta d’antiche statue" (1768-1772) di Bartolomeo Cavaceppi, Firenze 2011;
Dodero, in Dodero Elisa, Parisi Presicce Claudio (a cura di), Il tesoro di antichità. Winckelmann e il Museo Capitolino nella Roma del Settecento, catalogo della mostra (Roma, Musei Capitolini, Palazzo Caffarelli e Palazzo Nuovo, 7 dicembre 2017-22 aprile 2018), Roma 2017;
Aymonino Adriano, Enlightened Eclecticism. The Grand Design of the 1st Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, New Haven-London 2021.