The National Museum of Korea presents its fourth world civilizations exhibition, "Gods, Heroes, Mortals: art and life in ancient
Since relocating to Yongsan in 2005, the National Museum of Korea has been holding special exhibitions on an annual basis to introduce the great civilizations of the world. Following "Glory of Persia" in 2008 and "
The exhibition consists of four parts.
The first of these, "Gods, Heroes and Outsiders," deals with Greek gods and myths and is subdivided into three areas: "The Divine," "Herakles: Superman," and "Outsiders." In Greek myth, gods are presented as having human appearances and emotions. Images of Zeus, Hera and the other gods of
The second part, "The Human Form," highlights the appearance of the Greeks and their physical ideals. This part is subdivided into three areas: "The Male Body Beautiful," "Aphrodite and the Female Body," and "The Face." In Greek art, men were generally shown nude, while women were shown clothed. This signified that the healthy male body demonstrated the virtues of youth, and at the same time reflected the active lives of men and the cloistered lives of women. Until the 6th century B.C., Greek art depicted the human body in an abstract and simple way, but beginning in the 5th century B.C. it showed the body in more natural postures. The images of the human shown in Greek sculpture and pottery allow the viewer to appreciate Greek art and its emphasis on balance, rhythm and proportion. In addition to the representation of the idealized human form, this period also saw the development of portrait sculpture that gave shape to the characteristics of individuals. Representative works include statues of a kouros, or male youth, and a victorious athlete, as well as the figurine of a woman unearthed in the
The third part, "
The fourth part, "Daily Life," sheds light on the journey of life for ancient Greeks, from birth through adulthood and marriage, as well as war and death. This part is subdivided into three areas: "Birth, Marriage and Death," "Sex and Desire," and "Character and Realism." As Greek children developed, they gradually became members of the family and the community. Women married and took care of the household, while men developed into citizen-soldiers and headed into the battlefield. This life cycle of the Greeks is clearly depicted through images on pottery, ornaments, armor, helmets and gravestones. Whereas early Greek art generalized the human form and chiefly depicted ruling class values, later art included depictions of people with a diverse range of appearances. This stemmed from interchange with various other peoples as a result of Alexander the Great's territorial expansion and conquest, and it meant that the Greek world had grown from a city-state, or "polis," into an empire. Representative pieces include gold ornaments, helmet and armor, a statue of Eros, a gravestone, a makeup case depicting images from a woman's daily life, a statue of Sokrates, and a statue of girls playing marbles.
[ Admission ]
|
Adult |
Middle/ |
Elemen- |
Pre-Elementary Child |
Special Discount |
Free Admission |
Individual |
10,000 |
9,000 |
8,000 |
6,000 |
Senior or older)
|
-Aged under 48 months |
Group |
9,000 |
8,000 |
7,000 |
5,000 |
※ Patriots and veterans, Basic Livelihood Security recipients and disabled individuals can enter for free upon presentation of the appropriate certification.