For These We Fought: Antiquities and the Greek Revolution

For These We Fought: Antiquities and the Greek Revolution opened February 11, 2020 at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece.
This exhibit takes its title from a quote attributed to General Yiannis Makrygiannis, a leading historical figure who admonished Greek fighters not to sell or give away any priceless Greek antiquities. It consists of five sections and presents a total of 26 ancient artifacts juxtaposed with 26 modern works, mainly by European painters showing Greek landscapes of the time, linking Greece to Europe. The objects reflect philhellenism, as illustrated by iconography taken from antiquity, while references will be also made to the loss of antiquities and the contemplation of monumental architecture throughout Greece — from the Acropolis to the Epicurean Apollo Temple at Bassae — that contributed to the Greek people’s understanding of the role antiquities played in forming their collective identity. The show will be supported by digital projections of drawings from pre-revolutionary Greece, accompanied by descriptions by French statesman and writer Chateaubriand.


Image: Sculpture and red-figured ceramics on display at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece courtesy of the museum.

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