This fragment from a full-length representation of Dionysus, Greek god of wine and theatre, has a fascinating history spanning centuries and crossing continents, from its creation in the 2nd century CE, through the period of its discovery in the 18th century, to its acquisition by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in 2009.

Although only the torso remains, we identify the statue as Dionysus on the basis of the long hair curling down over his shoulders, and more importantly, the animal skin draped over his body. Dionysus is commonly depicted with vine leaves, grapes, and accompanied by wild animals, such as panthers, and he wears the skin of a feline (or fawn) here. When intact, the statue poses with his right arm raised to his head and his right hip thrust out. Such a statue would have been on display in the home or gardens of a wealthy Roman, perhaps even an Emperor.

After the torso was excavated in Italy around the mid-18th century, it came into the hands of Bartolomeo Cavaceppi (1716-1799), a sculptor who ran a large workshop in Rome restoring ancient marble sculptures. Cavaceppi's records show that the torso received a new head, arms, legs, and a support consisting of a tree trunk entwined with grape vines (see illustration) to satisfy the taste of the day for whole statues, rather than archaeological fragments. The restored Dionysus was then sold to the first Marquis of Lansdowne (1737-1805), a British politician and art collector who amassed an incredible collection of ancient marble sculpture to decorate his house in London, England. Lansdowne was Prime Minister of England in 1783 when peace treaties were signed granting the United States of America its independence, and had been supportive of the rights of the American colonies.

The restored Dionysus was displayed in the dining room at Lansdowne House, where it remained for over 100 years. Finally, in 1930, Lansdowne’s descendants put his sculptures up for auction. As a result, the Dionysus was purchased by Wright S. Ludington (1900-1991), a local art collector and benefactor of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. The statue was brought to California, and installed in the gardens of Ludington’s estate, Val Verde, in Montecito. Ludington donated hundreds of works to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, including the statue of Hermes, also owned by Lansdowne before him, on display in this gallery.

Written and photographic evidence reveals that the Dionysus still had its 18th century restorations intact when it was sold at auction. However, these restorations were removed during the 70 years that it spent here in Santa Barbara, leaving only the ancient torso. This reflects a change in taste towards showing only the genuine ancient part of a sculpture, rather than later additions, thus preserving an archaeological artifact, as well as a beautiful piece of art. We are still searching for information about when the head, arms, legs, and support were removed, by whom, and where they are now.

The torso has recently undergone conservation treatment to remove the effects of weathering from its time in the Val Verde gardens, and to improve the stability of the piece by remounting it.