Under an agreement signed between the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Ministry of Culture – Regional Directorate of National Museums of Lazio, in preparation for the Italy-US Business, Investment, Science and Innovation Forum, an archaeological masterpiece of exceptional significance to Italy’s and Europe’s cultural heritage is on display in Miami for one month, in the entrance hall of the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum.
The Head of Ulysses (1st century BC-1st century AD), from the sculptural group depicting the Blinding of Polyphemus, comes from the Villa of Tiberius and National Archaeological Museum of Sperlonga.
The Villa of Tiberius (Roman Emperor from AD 14 to 37) was discovered during the second half of the 1950s, during the construction work on the coastal road connecting Terracina and Gaeta. In particular, thousands of marble fragments were recovered from the circular basin inside the grotto located at the edge of the imperial complex.
The decorative program of the grotto, commissioned by Tiberius (renowned as a collector and patron of the arts) and organized into sculptural groups (four of which have been identified), created a highly theatrical mythological landscape centered on the figure of Ulysses and his exploits.
The Head of Ulysses belonged to the group representing the Blinding of Polyphemus, an episode from Homer’s Odyssey in which the Greek hero and his companions blind the Cyclops and escape from his cave. The sculpture, remarkable for its expressive power, features a tangled, unkempt beard, long flowing locks of hair, a furrowed brow, and prominent facial features, demonstrating extraordinary artistic mastery. Traces of paint, found on the cloak of the body believed to belong to the head, suggest that the entire sculptural group was once vividly colored.
Accompanied by a video introducing the museum and archaeological park of Sperlonga, the sculpture is on view free of charge through July 19, 2026, at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum. For information on opening days and hours, visitors are encouraged to consult the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum’s website.
The exhibition takes place in the weeks right before the release of the highly anticipated American film The Odyssey, based on Homer’s epic poem.
