The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy
May 2–Sept. 20, 2026
Etruscan Artifact Exhibition
Curated by Renée Dreyfus
Image: Legion of Honor Entrance, San Francisco.
Legion of Honor
100 34th Ave
San Francisco, CA 94121
+1 415 750 3600
Legion of Honor Website
Legion of Honor Instagram
Legion of Honor Hours
| Monday | Closed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 9:30 am – 5:15 pm |
| Wednesday | 9:30 am – 5:15 pm |
| Thursday | 9:30 am – 5:15 pm |
| Friday | 9:30 am – 5:15 pm |
| Saturday | 9:30 am – 5:15 pm |
| Sunday | 9:30 am – 5:15 pm |
Overview
Today’s LOVE LETTER TO ART is The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy at the Legion of Honor, an exhibition devoted to the rich artistic, religious, and cultural legacy of the ancient Etruscans. Curated by Renée Dreyfus (also the curator for the de Young’s PHENOMENAL Treasures of the Pharaohs, on view through Jan. 31, 2027), the show brings together bronze sculptures, intricate gold jewelry, ritual objects, inscriptions, and rarely seen artifacts—many on view in the United States for the first time. The exhibition highlights the Etruscans’ extraordinary mastery of metalwork and their profound influence on Roman civilization, bringing new attention to a sophisticated culture long overshadowed by ancient Greece and Rome.
The Etruscans were an ancient pagan civilization that flourished in northern and central Italy from roughly 900–27 BC, alongside the Greeks, before eventually being absorbed into the Roman world. Until this exhibition, I hadn’t thought about the Etruscans since the 1990s, when they were part of my middle school history curriculum. They had stood out to me in that the textbook images of Etruscan frescoes depicted them as being really smiley, which I thought was really kind of sweet. But I suppose most people are smiley when they are intoxicated and partying, just saying…. I always enjoyed learning about ancient civilizations, and this show is a stunning example of Etruscan skill and craftsmanship. The artifacts are so incredibly beautiful and much more intricate than I would have imagined given the time period.
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco created this excellent video exploring the often-overlooked Etruscan civilization and its lasting influence on the Roman world.
The Etruscans, the Ancient World’s Greatest Untold Story by FAMSF. Legion of Honor, San Francisco.
One of my favorite pieces in the exhibition is the Liver of Piacenza, on loan from the Civic Museums of Palazzo Farnese in Piacenza, Italy. Fun Fact: This is the first time the object has left its home city since its discovery in 1877, making its U.S. debut at the Legion of Honor. Its journey to San Francisco involved a specially designed transport case and an armed escort, with the museum’s director personally accompanying the object. The bronze object, used as a guide for divination, is a life-size model of a sheep’s liver measuring only about five inches long—roughly the length of a small smartphone. As someone who has been fascinated by the occult since childhood, it was so cool to see an actual divination tool the Etruscans used to decipher messages from the gods. Priests known as haruspices would examine the livers of sacrificed animals for signs, interpreting them as omens according to different areas associated with Etruscan deities.
It was also interesting to learn about the roles of women in Etruscan society, as they appear to have enjoyed considerably more freedom and visibility than women in ancient Greece. Elite women attended banquets alongside men, participated in public life, and were represented prominently in Etruscan art—something their Greek and Roman contemporaries viewed with disdain.
The exhibition’s accompanying catalogue by can be purchased at the FAMSF store for $75.00/$67.50 (members) and on Amazon as well.
🗓 The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy is on view until September 20, 2026 at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco’s Lincoln Park. This is the final weekend before the exhibition travels to the San Antonio Museum of Art (October 31, 2026–March 14, 2027). Several other wonderful exhibitions are also on view—see below for details.
💌 Did you see the show(s) or try any of our recommendations? What did you think? Let us know in the comments (in the Reviews section located on the second tab at the top of the page).
QUICK GUIDE: LEGION OF HONOR
- The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy | Discover how the Etruscans—whose innovations helped shape Roman civilization—transformed art, architecture, engineering, and daily life through more than 150 remarkable ancient artifacts. | Closes Sept. 20, 2026
- Miró: Proof Against All | Explore Joan Miró’s celebrated Surrealist artist’s book À toute épreuve, a vibrant collaboration with poet Paul Éluard that showcases the artist’s groundbreaking achievements in printmaking and book illustration. | July 25, 2026–July 25, 2027
- Eternal Paris: Photographing the City of Light | Nearly 50 photographs trace how 19th- and early 20th-century photographers captured Paris’s monuments, upheavals, and transformation into a modern cultural capital. | Sept. 5, 2026–Feb. 28, 2027
- Azzedine Alaïa: Sculpting Fashion | A stunning celebration of Azzedine Alaïa’s iconic, body-sculpting designs and the extraordinary craftsmanship that made him a fashion legend.| Runs Nov. 1, 2026–April 11, 2027
- Bouquets to Art | Leading floral designers transform de Young and Legion of Honor artworks into spectacular botanical creations. | Runs March 2–7, 2027
- A Closer Look: June Wayne, Corita Kent, and a New Age for Printmaking Gallery Talk on Oct. 10, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. (FREE)
- A Closer Look: The Mysteries of a 17th-Century Carved Limewood Panel Gallery Talk on Nov. 14, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. (FREE)
- Guided Tours: The Etruscans Exhibition Tour Tuesday–Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
- Live Organ Concert on Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. (FREE)
- Gallery Conversations Museum Guide-Led Gallery Talks Tuesday–Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
- Porcelain Conversations with Museum Guides on Saturdays, Sundays + Free Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
⭐ ADMISSION:
- General Admission Adults $20 (includes same-day GA entry to the de Young Museum)
- Seniors 65+ $17
- Students (w/ID) $11
- 17 & Under FREE.
- *SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS +$15 (Includes access to permanent collections)
- Free General Admission for Veterans and Military Personnel
- **Membership (includes de Young Museum) starts at $129
- Free Satudays for Bay Area Residents (w/ID or postmarked envelope)
- Free First Tuesdays of the Month
- Discover and Go (Free w/library card—may not apply to all counties)
- SF Museums for All (show your EBT or Medi-Cal card/ID)
- Public Transportation Discount (receive a $3 discount w/proof of receipt)
- Free Admission to all exhibitions w/Sotheby’s Preferred Membership.
- *THE PERMANENT COLLECTION IS FREE TO VISIT AT 4:30 p.m.
- *Treasures of the Pharaohs | Explore the power, beauty, and beliefs of ancient Egypt through 130 extraordinary artifacts spanning 3,000 years, from monumental sculptures to gilded treasures. | Aug. 1, 2026–Jan. 31, 2027
- A Gallery of Their Own: Women Artists from the Carr and Goldblum Gift | Photography, prints, and drawings by influential women artists reveal bold and innovative approaches to surrealism, movement, and the natural world. | Aug. 15, 2026–Feb. 28, 2027
- Superficial Matters: Artists from the Svane Gift and Beyond | Through ceramics, photography, painting, and mixed media, contemporary Bay Area artists examine identity, gender, culture, and the meaning of surface. | Aug. 15, 2026–April 11, 2027
- Embroidered Histories | Highlights European embroidery samplers from the 17th to 19th centuries, revealing their artistry and connections to the social, political, and economic history of the time. | Nov. 29, 2025–Dec. 6, 2026
- Rooted in Place: California Native Art | Explores the deep connections between art, ceremony, and land in the Karuk, Yurok, Hupa, Tolowa, Tsnungwe, and Wiyot communities of northwestern California. | Aug. 26, 2025–Dec. 6, 2026
- Contemporary Painting in Papua New Guinea: Mathias Kauage and His Family | Four extraordinary paintings by Mathias Kauage from the museum’s private collection—on view for the first time—reveal the bold and expressive vision of one of Papua New Guinea’s most celebrated artists. | Closes Dec. 6, 2026
- Rose B. Simpson: LEXICON | Muscle cars meet Pueblo pottery—sooooooo good! | Aug. 30, 2025–Feb. 7, 2027
- *Nengi Omuku: The Gathering | Dreamlike paintings by Nengi Omuku imagine worlds of healing and belonging, combining lush landscapes, traditional Yoruba textiles, and themes of ancestry, community, and cultural continuity. | June 27, 2026–May 14, 2028
- Arts of Indigenous America | A major reinstallation celebrating Indigenous American art through the theme of “Relationship to Place,” featuring works from the past thousand years alongside contemporary commissions. | Aug. 26, 2025–Aug. 31, 2028
- Bouquets to Art | Leading floral designers transform de Young and Legion of Honor artworks into spectacular botanical creations. | Runs March 2–7, 2027
Currently On View at FAMSF’s Legion of Honor Museum
Coming Soon to FAMSF’s Legion of Honor Museum
Currently On View at FAMSF’s de Young Museum
Coming Soon to FAMSF’s de Young Museum
A LOVE LETTER TO ART RECOMMENDS
RELATED VIDEOS
FAMSF’s A Closer Look: The Etruscans with Exhibition Curator Renée Dreyfus. Legion of Honor, San Francisco.
New Perspectives on the Etruscans: Opening Day Symposium, Session 1, featuring Renée Dreyfus, Lisa Pieraccini & Daniele F. Maras. Legion of Honor, San Francisco.
New Perspectives on the Etruscans: Opening Day Symposium, Session 2, featuring Renée Dreyfus, Lisa Pieraccini & Daniele F. Maras. Legion of Honor, San Francisco.
History Documentary BBC: Etruscan Civilization vs. Byzantine Empire.
RELATED POSTS
Author: ALoveLettertoArt
