The Greek Costume: 16th–20th Century Print Sources from the I.D. Koilalous Collection

A printmaking exhibition held at the E. Averoff Art Gallery from 23 March to 10 May 2009, this was the fourth stop of this notable exhibition, which, after the successful original presentation at the Benaki Museum, travelled to Thessaloniki and Corfu.

The depictions of costumes in books by European travellers who visited Greece from the sixteenth to the early twentieth century constitute a treasure trove of documentation for the range of costume styles of the inhabitants of island and mainland Greece.
The 220 engravings on view in the exhibition offered viewers the opportunity to become acquainted with fascinating and rare images. The imaginative arrangements of the many different elements of the Greek costume, its bold colour combinations, the rare variety of pattern, the extravagance and richness of the elaborate jewellery all inspired foreign artists and travellers.