Troy: Myth and Reality


Comprehensive exhibition at the British Museum looking at the story of the Trojan Wars, how it was represented in the ancient world and since.

I had assumed this show would just look at the story, illustrating it with relatively contemporary art and discussing whether there was any truth to it but it was much more. It did start with a look at how the story emerged and them went through it in dome detailing illustrating it with vases and other objects from the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. There were some beautiful objects including this vase of the death of Ajax.

I found the section on the archaeology of the real site disappointing. I found it’s narrative of the different layers of excavation confusing and after the wonderfully created world of the first section in was disappointing that the real objects were mainly dull, brown pots. The reproductions of the real treasures from the dig were kept to the end but I know friends who know more about the topic were disappointed that more of the fine artefacts were not here.

I loved the section how the story has been viewed in modern times from John Lydgate’s Troy Book made for the future Henry V which established ideas of chivalry, through a Renaissance cassone to a set design by Oliver Messel for “La Belle Helene”. I was fascinated to find out that the first book printed in English was the story of Troy and liked the inclusion of a first edition of Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida.

The last section looked at the themes in the story and how they resonate today. There was a moving section on what the story had meant to soldiers including a testament from a PTSD sufferer and another on how the women in the story have become architypes.

Closes 8 March 2020

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