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| Aphrodite of Rhodes (after her bath), 1st century BC |
Κάλλος [kálos] used to describe "the ultimate beauty", a word from the ancient Greek language that is still being used today by modern Greeks.
"Kallos. The Ultimate Beauty" is also the name of the new exhibition @ the Cycladic Art Museum in Athens about beauty in the ancient world with 323 antiquities on display until 16th January 2022, carefully gathered from Museums all over Greece, Italy and the Vatican.
I had the great pleasure and honor to be invited at the press conference and visit this unique exhibition and be guided around the museum by Prof. Stampolidis and Dr Fappas, the museum's curators, two days before the original opening.
The exhibition is divided in sections, such as Divine Beauty, where one can see the beauty of Gods as imagined by humans, the Beauty Pageant, a beauty battle between three mighty goddesses, Hera, Athena and Aphrodite which led to the Trojan war, the Grabbing & Violation of humans by both Gods and humans for their beauty, Demonic Beauty, which shows how beautiful monsters like the Sphynx or the Scylla may look, and then moves on to everyday humans, athletes, heroes, the beautification process (bathing, perfumes, hair, makeup etc.), clothing & accessorizing and more.
Highlights
This is a breathtaking experience with more than 300 antiquities from the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic times gathered from more than 50 museums around Greece, Italy and the Vatican that one might never be able to see in a lifetime! I highly recommend you to visit.
My personal favorites from this exhibition are:
1. The Dancing Girl (5th century BC), which is the first thing you see when entering the museum and takes your breath away. Apart from the beauty of her face and body, the static movement of her dress, her uncovered thigh, the hair up-do, but especially the details of her sandal make this statue a true masterpiece. It is no surprise that Herodes Atticus had this in his mansion in Arcadia
2. The Amphipolis Sphynx (4th century BC), the beauty of her face brought tears to my eyes... I really cannot explain it, but this happened to me before, when looking at Hermes of Praxitelis (Ancient Olympia). As I looked at her oversized head I could imagine me entering the tomb and her turning her head and looking at me. I have a wild imagination, I know...
3. Alexander the Great (4th century BC), his beauty has been unique through the centuries. Many sculptors were inspired by his facial features when creating statues of Apollo, Helios or other gods known for their beauty.
4. The Untimely Dead section, those who were young and beautiful but death took them so early pictured on carved tomb stones.
5. Aphrodite of Rhodes (1st century BC), as you look at her you think she will stand up and pass by you touching her wet hair after taking a bath.
If you enjoy ancient art and history, this unique exhibition is a must-see.
xoxo
|barefoot duchess|
All photos by me
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| Dancing Girl, 5th century BC |
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| The Amphipolis Sphynx, 4th century BC |
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| Alexander the Great, 4th century BC |
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| Tomb Stone of a young girl, 5th century BC |
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| Left to right: Aphrodite, 1st century AD Athena, 1st century AD Hera, 5th century BC |
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| Aphrodite holding the Apple, 1st century AD The Apple of Eris, 5th-3rd century BC |
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| Clothing and Hair, Classical period (left) and Archaic period (right) |
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| Grabbing of amazon Antiope by Theseus, king of Athens, 6th century BC |
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| Leda and the Swan, 1st-2nd century AD |
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| Kouros, 5th century BC |
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| Left: Dionysus, 4th century BC Right: Helios, 2nd century BC |
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| Golden Jewelry |
