Antinoüs, after antiquity c. 19th century

Curator: This is "Antinoüs, after antiquity," by the Pichler family, held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's incredibly subtle, almost ghostly, with a beautiful, soft quality to the carving. Curator: The Pichler family were renowned gem engravers. This piece speaks to the enduring fascination with Antinoüs, Emperor Hadrian's lover, and the idealization of male beauty and homoerotic desire in ancient times. Editor: The almost monochromatic rendering heightens the focus on form. Notice how the light catches the delicate relief, creating a sense of depth despite the miniature scale. Curator: Absolutely. The creation of this piece invites considerations around contemporary representation and queer identity, and the legacies of power embedded within classical imagery. Editor: For me, the power lies in the deceptive simplicity and the technical mastery required to achieve such refinement. Curator: It's a fascinating tension, isn't it? Between the socio-political context and the purely formal elements. Editor: Precisely. An object lesson, quite literally.