Statue of Leda with the Swan
This group is a sculptural representation of the erotic theme of Leda and Zeus in the guise of a swan. Leda, nude, is depicted in the act of lifting up her matnle with her left arm in order to protect the swan from the eagle in the act of snatching it. With her right hand, she holds the swan. The figure is leaning on a tree trunk placed to her right. The statue could be a reworking of a group attributed to the Greek Timotheos, in the fourth century BC, and very common in many replicas beginning in the first century BC.
Masterpieces of the hall
The hall
The two sides of the Gallery are lined with a row of sculptures of various types from different periods arranged according to strictly ornamental criteria.
Many statues are Roman copies of original Greek masterpieces, now lost. Modern restoration has, in some cases, greatly altered the original iconography.
Hundreds of small inscriptions, mainly from the Empress Livia's colombarium of slaves and freedmen on the Via Appia, have been inserted in the walls.
