1821 Before and After: Modern Hellenism at the Benaki Museum

1821 Before and After: Experience a Complete Panorama of Modern Hellenism at the Benaki Museum

With a whopping 1,200 exhibits spread across the 2,500 square metres of the Benaki Museum’s Pireos Street site, 1821 Before and After is the most extensive exhibition ever presented on modern Hellenism. These works create a deeply meaningful assemblage that traces the enchanting story of modern Greeks and brings to the fore the reasons for their very existence, their perseverance and how far they have travelled: all the positive elements that have shaped modern Hellenism.

Make a date to see this comprehensive panorama of a pivotal century in Greek history. 1200 objects in an exhibition, curated by historians Tassos Sakellaropoulos and Maria Dimitriadou, showcasing 100 years of modern Greek history. The exhibition, organised by the Benaki Museum in partnership with the Bank of Greece, the National Bank of Greece and Alpha Bank is the most extensive exhibition on modern Hellenism ever presented.

More than 1200 artefacts from the history of modern Greece are on display to honour the 200 years since the Hellenic Revolution in a first-ofits kind exhibit of such scale and scope, internationally. The exhibit highlights the 100 years that begin with the moral and economic preparation of the liberation of the Greeks, culminating with the Revolution of 1821 and the first decades of operation and development of the modern Greek State. Visitors to the Benaki Museum’s 1821 Before and After exhibit will find interesting relics from 1770 to 1870, including historical correspondence urging the Greeks to fight, masterpieces

depicting life in Greece during the era, and the fashionable garb of freedom fighters and royalty. Enriching their experience, they will have the opportunity to read a compelling historical narrative displayed throughout the exhibit’s walls, with relevant items accompanying each section.

The catalogue that accompanies the exhibition is a 1,218 page labour of love showcasing one hundred years of modern Greek history, between 1770 and 1870. This century begins with the moral and economic preparations for the liberation of the Greeks, reaches an apex with the 1821 Revolution and concludes with the first decades of the operation and development of the new Greek state.

Through rare works of art and special testimonies from each era, the three parts of the exhibition and the corresponding chapters of the catalogue offer a fascinating journey of history and art, a journey that in each step reveals why this adventurous century remains so deeply engaging, even in the 21st century.

1821 Before and After is a very special exhibit for the Benaki Museum, as it is the longest lasting in duration and largest event in the museum’s history, as well as the first such event that takes up the entire museum building on Pireos Street, said Benaki Museum President Irini Geroulanou in a statement.

The exhibition will be open to the public every day until November 7, 2021, from Tuesday to Sunday at the following hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, 10am6pm; Friday and Saturday, 10am to 4pm.