Reconsidering Enslaved People in Ancient Greek Art at the Harvard Art Museums

Abstract

In response to the Harvard Art Museums’ ReFrame Initiative and the publication of the “Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery” report, the author reevaluates the display and discussion of images of enslaved people in ancient Greek art in the museum gallery. Ancient Greece relied heavily on the labor and crafts produced by enslaved people, and while enslaved people are common subjects of ancient art, a critical analysis of their representations and interpretations is not standard in art historical or museum discourse. This paper proposes a reading of these images that prioritizes the voice of the enslaved person and proposes strategies to foster dialogue about this topic in the art museum. In particular, the author recommends avoiding euphemisms in nomenclature and in annotated “chat” labels and invites alternative readings of images that take the embodied experiences of enslaved people in the ancient world into consideration.

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