OPEN LECTURE
At the Swedish Institute of Classical Studies
27/11 at 18.00
Paweł Gołyźniak (Institute of Archaeology, Jagiellonian University)
”Pier Leone Ghezzi and the Antique”
Pier Leone Ghezzi (1674–1755) was a remarkably versatile and successful artist whose interests extended far beyond painting and caricatures illustrating ‘il mondo novo’. His pursuits included music, theatre, medicine, and mineralogy, but above all he devoted much time and energy to the study and recording of antiquities. Fascination with the Antique marked his career from the very beginning, shaped by formative experiences such as his visits to the cave of Francesco de’ Ficoroni under the guidance of Carlo Maratta.
Between roughly 1720 and 1750, Ghezzi produced thousands of drawings documenting ancient marbles, terracottas, oil lamps, bronze figurines, engraved gems, and countless other objects. His work went well beyond visual reproduction: he frequently annotated his drawings with extensive commentary, offering interpretations of ancient iconographies, noting precise provenances and collections, and sharing his reflections on styles, techniques, materials, and functions.
This talk will explore Ghezzi’s engagement with antiquity through selected examples of his most significant and intriguing drawings. It will consider the origins of his classical interests, the influences that shaped his outlook, the range of antiquities he documented, and the methods that made his work so prolific. Ghezzi was not only a recorder but also an active participant in the antiquarian world: he bought antiquities on the art market, acted as an agent and advisor to some major collectors, and assembled his own collection. Although this collection has not survived, much of its contents such as engraved gems, oil lamps, and terracottas—are preserved through his drawings.
BOOK PRESENTATION
At the Accademia Polacca
28/11
”Philipp von Stosch: Collecting, Drawing, Studying and Publishing Engraved Gems”
Dr. Paweł Gołyźniak
Come with us on a fascinating journey into the world of 18th-century collections, research and artistic inspiration!
Accademia Polacca, together with the Swedish Institute of Classical Studies in Rome, invites you to a meeting dedicated to Philipp von Stosch (1691–1757) – one of the most important gemstone researchers of the 18th century.
The new publication by Dr Paweł Gołyźniak (Jagiellonian University), published by Brill, is the result of his research conducted in collaboration with Ulf R. Hansson and Hadrien J. Rambach. Their significant discovery consists of nearly 3,200 previously unknown drawings of gems hidden until now in libraries in Krakow and Berlin. The book provides an insight into Stosch’s collecting, antiquarian and scientific activities, as well as his collaboration with the most outstanding artists of the era, who laid the foundations for modern archaeology and research into ancient art.
Meeting with the participation of: prof. Maria Barbara Guerrieri Borsoi and prof. Lucia Pirzio Biroli Stefanelli.
The lecture will be held in English on 28 November 2025 at 6 p.m. at the headquarters of the Accademia Polacca.