Nude statues of gods, goddesses, and athletes, courtesy of the British Museum, have gone on display in Taipei.

 

The exhibition, entitled "The Body Beautiful," is designed to show off the aesthetics of ancient Western civilization.

"Discobolus" or The Discus Thrower is one of the stars of the new exhibition of pieces from the British Museum on display here.

Made in the 2nd century AD, a replica of a Greek original from 450-400 BC, this marble statue is a highlight of the show, which has been shipped all the way from London.

Keeper of the Department of Greece and Rome at the British Museum, Dr. Lesley Fitton, says deciding which pieces to include in the exhibition was a fascinating process.

Dr. Lesley Fitton, British Museum, said, "Choosing the material is a very interesting thing for us. We obviously want to bring some of the real star exhibits from our collections, things that would be displayed normally in London. And so here in Taipei we have the 'Discobolus' - one of our iconic sculptures. We have some really very fine pieces, which apart from our permanent collections that attract a lot of attention at home."

Pieces that include pottery, marble statues and busts and masks demonstrate the aesthetic ideal set by the Ancient Greeks.

The people of Ancient Greece, including ordinary mortals like athletes plus gods and goddesses, were depicted in such art works.

The human body was commonly used as an object of beauty and a way to express their passion and desire.

This marble sculpture, known as 'Victorious Athlete', is the perfect example of merging physical beauty and intelligence.

The Ancient Greeks and Romans are said to have set the template for the modern idea of human physical beauty.

But, as Dr. Lesley Fitton asks, is this still the same ideal that we have in modern society?

Dr. Lesley Fitton said, "Does Ancient Greek art set a standard for what beauty is? I think that for us in the modern world that's almost a matter of our own personal taste. I think in the 19th century, earlier too there was this notion that Greek art sets a standard, that it became the aesthetic ideal. Now we would have rather overturned the idea, haven't we? And we recognize the arts of other cultures and other times has having equal validity."

A total of 136 works of art are included in the exhibition.

The exhibition is scheduled to run for four months.