Ancient Greek notion of ‘kallos’ explored in show at Cycladic Museum

The Museum of Cycladic Art will unveil an exhibition tomorrow dedicated to the notions of beauty and beautification in ancient Greece and beyond. “Kallos: The Ultimate Beauty” is the last show at the institution under the stewardship of Nikolaos Stampolidis, who has taken over the helm of the Acropolis Museum.

He told Kathimerini “‘Kallos,’ as expressed by the ancient Greek world view, connects the body to the soul, the outer appearance to virtue and morality.” The exhibition comprises some 320 pieces from 52 Greek ephorates, nine Italian museums and the Vatican’s Museo Gregoriano Etrusco.

“Leaving the museum I served for a quarter of a century with ‘Kallos,’ and ascending to the embodiment of ancient Greek elegance is a coincidence that divine providence, something the ancients believed in, was saving for me,” Stampolidis said of his move to the Acropolis Museum.