Dr Athena Leoussi

My main scholarly interests lie in three overlapping fields: nationalism studies, art history, and the European Classical tradition. Within these broad fields, I am particularly interested in the history, theories and problems of nationalism and national identity; European cultural history, with special emphasis on cultural exchange and contact; visions of the human body in the context of the modern idea of race and anti-semitism; the representation of national identity in art and architecture; and the role of the classical tradition in the development of modern conceptions of humanity, nationality, and democracy.

I have published several volumes and articles in my areas of interest (see my Publications, below). My research has received funding from the Greek State, the Hellenic Foundation, the Irving Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy, USA, and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP) of the University of Reading, that gives undergraduate students opportunities to acquire research skills by working with academics on their research projects.

Through my interest in the European Classical Tradition, I worked for several years with the British Museum, organising events to promote public understanding of the significance of the ideas, principles, and art of the ancient Greek world for modern life and the development of modern art. I also initiated and curated, with the late Dr Ian Jenkins, Senior Curator at the British Museum, the exhibition, 'Defining Beauty: The Body in Ancient Greek Art' (2015), and was scientific advisor for its sequel, Rodin and the Art of Ancient Greece (2018). Both of these blockbuster exhibitions were radically innovative. They placed at centre stage the British Museum’s Parthenon Sculptures, hitherto held in obscurity and neglect by debates over their ownership, and showed their dramatic impact on modern art.

I am currently writing a book on European Parliaments.