Project « On the trail of Mariemont's antiques »

Mariemont’s Greek and Roman collections were assembled at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

An indication of provenance (country, region or even archaeological site) has been documented for most of the objects. However, they have more often than not passed through the hands of collectors and antique dealers. Some have even been part of very well-known European collections such as the one belonging to Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi in Rome. 

This research project is examining the history of Mariemont’s antiques by locating them in sales catalogues and archives. The aim is to establish their background and trace the channels through which they have passed (like those of other collections) and thus verify the information we have about their provenance, which could have been invented, distorted or deliberately omitted by the merchant(s) or collector(s).