Ludovisi Apollo

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This sculpture showcases Apollo, an embodiment of the kouros ideal - a strong and agile youth devoid of facial hair - who is often associated with multiple divine roles including music, truth, healing, light, poetry, and the spread of disease. As the offspring of Zeus and Leto, Apollo has a twin sister in Artemis, a skilled huntress known for her purity and restraint. The sculpture was added to the Ludovisi collection at the Villa Ludovisi, which was a suburban villa in Rome built during the 17th century on land previously occupied by the Gardens of Sallust near the Porta Salaria. The villa's main building was erected in the 1620s by Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi using designs created by Domenichino, and it took thirty months to complete - partially as a space for his collection of Roman antiquities that he found during construction.