title: Sculpture in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens
author: Nikolaos Kaltsas
description: <br /><strong>Nikolaos Kaltsas</strong> is director of the National Archaeological Museum, Athens.<br />
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  # Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
  
  
  By Gladwell, Malcolm
  
  
  Introduction The Statue That Didn’t Look Right
  
  
  In September of 1983, an art dealer by the name of Gianfranco Becchina
  approached the J. Paul Getty Museum in California. He had in his possession,
  he said, a marble statue dating from the sixth century BC. It was what is
  known as a kouros-a sculpture of a nude male youth standing with his left leg
  forward and his arms at his sides. There are only about two hundred kouroi in
  existence, and most have been recovered badly damaged or in fragments from
  grave sites or archeological digs. But this one was almost perfectly
  preserved. It stood close to seven feet tall. It had a kind of light-colored
  glow that set it apart from other ancient works. It was an extraordinary find.
  Becchina’s asking price was just under $10 million.
  
  
  The Getty moved cautiously. It took the kouros on loan and began a thorough
  investiga