Throughout the late 6th and early 5th century, a scene involving two protagonists in pursuit became popular on a wide variety of painted vases. Named by scholars as ‘erotic pursuits’, such scenes emit a far more subtle sexual desire than examples so far considered. From images of explicit sexual aggression to enigmatic scenes of erotic pursuit, the viewer is left uncertain as to both the intention and the eventual fate of the figures in the scene. The expression of desire alters from a gratification of the male viewer to an exploration of desire which is permeated with ambiguity.108 The motivation behind such a change in representational practice could be accounted for by a change of
106 Frontisi-Ducroux (1996) 94. 107 Boardman (1992) 240. 108 Stewart (1997) 150, 168.
taste, or perhaps a change of target audience.109 Unlike explicit erotica discussed in the beginning of this chapter, images of erotic pursuit do not fit well under the heading of pornography. Indeed, the images themselves are comparatively tame and tasteful. However, the implicit violence which underpins the interaction between the figures continues to objectify the female to the male gaze. Although the body of the female is not naked, her gestures open out her body to the viewer. Equally, the viewer is unsure whether she will be subject to the violence suggested by the spears carried by the male. These scenes are erotic; meaning that the sexual tension between male and female is apparent, but they are not pornographic, as the feeling of anxiety and the covering of the female body, does not attempt to gratify the viewer unambigiously.
In this final section, focus is upon this hidden anxiety and violence behind desire. Although present in explicit erotica, the emphasis on the anxiety behind the use of sexual violence acts as a representation of the Drive – the desperate and unsuccessful need to reach the lost object of desire, which continually challenges a satisfication of the sexual urge.110 By representing the Drive, rather than its temporary gratification, the viewer responds to the open-ended image. Outside a social context which would attempt to impose limits upon behaviour through the law of the taboo, it is what the viewer does not see – the un-representable – that creates the space for transgression.
To uncover this mixture of desire and anxiety, the iconography of the scene is examined, and its iconographic parallels, particularly with the hunt. Discussion begins with a brief exploration of the hunt, which worked to construct masculinity by providing an outlet for violence. Then discussion turns to our first erotic pursuit, the Krefeld stamnos, which introduces the visual language of such scenes. Several other examples are considered, which work with visions of violence and passion. Finally, the role of the broken or upturned hydria is examined, specificially in depictions of Poseidon and Amymone, as a symbol violence. Throughout this discussion, we reflect upon the role of the vase as a conveyer of violence in such scenes, and the meaning attached to the vase once damaged or disguarded. This requires an engagement with functionality.
Masculinity and the Hunt
Although little is known of hunting practices in Athens, the importance of the hunt to Athenian
109 Sutton to suggest in his analysis of red-figure pornography that such depictions were targeted at an
“emotionally based” female audience. Sutton goes on to state that the painter had a clear idea as regards the identity of the viewer of the vase due to its shape and intended context (1992) 6.
110
identity continued long after it was a means of survival. Participation in hunting had a particular connection to aristocratic values of manhood and athleticism. The hunt worked to construct male gender, a practice where men could prove themselves worthy of their citizenship and status. As a specifically regulated performance, rather than a concrete reality, the practice of hunting had a big impact upon painted vases, from 600 B.C, until the end of the 5th century, with particular emphasis upon non-mythical hunts of boar and deers, involving groups of ephebes.111 The focus on the ephebe ties into the state requirement of the proof of manhood, expressed through marriage and involvement in the hoplite phalanx. Depiction of the hunting ephebe is a visual construction of the struggles to maturity in manhood, rather than a straight forward celebration of glory. The status of the ephebe remains ambigiuous until he obtains his goals, without them he remained marginal, expressing both the order and disorder of social life.112 Erotic pursuit is iconographically and atmospherically connected to the identity of the ephebe and the passion and violence of the hunt.
The correspondence between the hunt and love is a well established metaphor. The beloved is a pursued animal, in danger of being caught falling in love with the passionate and maddened lover. Scenes of courtship on figured vases often make explicit reference to the metaphor between the hunt and love, this is particularly apparent in scenes of pederastic courtship, in which the erastes presents the eromenos with gifts as a token of their love and appreciation. Such gifts can take the form of hares and cocks, and hunting dogs stand to the side of the scene. The characteristics of the animals given as a gift refer to the intentions of the erastes.113 Also, representations of hunting dogs chasing hares symbolise this relationship by stripping it down to pursuit.114
In a significantly different way to pederastic courtship scenes, which transfers the energy and passion of the hunt into a gift, erotic pursuit depicts the metaphor; “hunted down by desire”.115 Rather than trying to impress the object of their desire with gifts, the ephebe redirects his violent impluse towards the female. The female has become the quarry. Indeed, in Sourvinou-Inwood’s examination of pursuit scenes emphasis is placed upon the character of the pursued female as wild and outside the control of society. Sourvinou-Inwood states; “unmarried girls were thought to be
111 From 600-425 B.C, Barringer (2001) 8,15. 112 Vidal-Naquet (1986) 107 and 122. 113 Barringer (2001) 94ff. 114
See Hoffman (1977) for discussion of animal pursuits.
115
partly ‘wild’ and partaking in animality”.116 The hunt and erotic pursuit collerate. There is no attempt at persuasion, he means to have her regardless. Both are victims of the sexual impluse, either passively as a victim of desire, or actively as an instegator. However, only the ephebe fears the failure which would mean his continued status as outside the social group.117 The figure of the ephebe hunter represents “the young man on the threshold of adult life”; to fail would be a humiliation.118
Hunting Down Desire
A red-figure stamnos, now in Krefeld, by the Yale Oinochoe Painter, and dated between 500-450 B.C, provides an excellent example of subtle erotic violence which permeates scenes of erotic pursuit. The painted sides of the Krefeld stamnosappear as near mirror images of erotic pursuit; a nearly naked ephebe, likely to be Theseus, pursues a female in an unspecified context (fig.5.24a/b).119 By taking up the majority of the visual space, the pursuing ephebe dominates the scene. On side A the ephebe holds the spear at its very end, permitting maximum reach, and points the tip at the female figure (fig.5.24a). The penis of the ephebe, although flaccid, doubles the point of the spear directed at the female. In response, the pursued female shifts away from the ephebe, stretches out her arms which has the effect of opening up her body to the viewer. Reminiscent of gestures made by females in mourning scenes and at the battle side, the viewer witnesses protest.120 She gazes back at the ephebe and their eyes meet. Here, the viewer decides; is this a sign of encouragement or a plea to stop? 121 The combination of gesture and gaze could present a contradiction. The female figure moves towards an ‘invested’ female spectator who stands to the side of the scene, fully draped and holding a spear.122 The stillness of the spectator is clear, but her