Cultivating the Body

The British Museum's exhibition, Defining Beauty: The Body in Ancient Greek Art, is both visually spectacular and politically engaging. It features iconic pieces like the Elgin marbles, recontextualized within a bold narrative about ancient Greek ideals and their influence on Western culture, particularly through historical lenses such as the Renaissance and Enlightenment. The exhibit explores the representation of the nude human body in Greek art, highlighting its significance and the complex cultural implications tied to those ancient works.