The Pederastic Gaze in Two Greek Vases

By
Ross Brendle
Ross Brendle is a Ph.D. candidate in Classical Archaeology, focusing on ancient Greek art and in particular Attic vase-painting. His dissertation examines the specialized uses of Attic black-figure pottery after the introduction of the red-figure technique. In the fall, he will be the Samuel H. Kress Fellow at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

  • Kylix by the Antiphon Painter, JHUAM B11.

The Pederastic Gaze in Two Greek Vases in the JHUAM

The institution of pederasty (the characteristically Greek relationships between men and boys) was a recurring theme in the art of the ancient Greeks. Many of these images have an unmistakably erotic quality, while others take a more nuanced approach. Two red-figure cups in the JHUAM fall in the latter category, showing boys in the gymnasium on view for older men within the scene and for the users of the vessel.

 

The full presentation can be seen here:

…<a href="https://vimeo.com/64804574">https://vimeo.com/64804574</a>…