Class
Article
College
Caine College of the Arts
Department
Art and Design Department
Faculty Mentor
Álvaro Ibarra
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Transgender individuals are erased from the historical narrative due to little definitive evidence of their existence in language, literature, or the archaeological record. Items like clothing, textiles, and wigs, which distinguished them from cisgender people, are largely lost to time. However, one way that we can view gender nonconformity is through art. Recently, historians recognized that homosexuality in antiquity was common. It took several centuries to come to the consensus that queer individuals existed. Gender identity and the complexity of gender expression in the ancient world is still debated among historians. While historians tend to negate the existence of transgender individuals in antiquity, there is evidence of crossdressing seen in the ancient world like in the story of Achilles on Skyros. This project aimed at analyzing and understanding individuals that do not fit within the gender binary in ancient Rome. The Romans understood the concept of transgender individuals despite their lack of an official noun, and Greco-Roman artists represented them within their work. My goal is to identify these ancient transgender or gender non-conforming people in artwork made during their time, specifically looking at marble sculptures of Apollo. Although he is biologically male, Apollo is known for being effeminate and gender non-conforming. His physical appearance contributes to his feminine attributes, including his androgynous body structure, hairstyle, and clothing. This is exemplified in the genre of Apollo imagery called “Apollo Citharoedus'' or “Apollo with a Cithara (lyre)”
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
4-11-2023 11:30 AM
End Date
4-11-2023 12:30 PM
Included in
Masculine Women, Feminine Men, and Androgyny: Gender Expression in Ancient Rome
Logan, UT
Transgender individuals are erased from the historical narrative due to little definitive evidence of their existence in language, literature, or the archaeological record. Items like clothing, textiles, and wigs, which distinguished them from cisgender people, are largely lost to time. However, one way that we can view gender nonconformity is through art. Recently, historians recognized that homosexuality in antiquity was common. It took several centuries to come to the consensus that queer individuals existed. Gender identity and the complexity of gender expression in the ancient world is still debated among historians. While historians tend to negate the existence of transgender individuals in antiquity, there is evidence of crossdressing seen in the ancient world like in the story of Achilles on Skyros. This project aimed at analyzing and understanding individuals that do not fit within the gender binary in ancient Rome. The Romans understood the concept of transgender individuals despite their lack of an official noun, and Greco-Roman artists represented them within their work. My goal is to identify these ancient transgender or gender non-conforming people in artwork made during their time, specifically looking at marble sculptures of Apollo. Although he is biologically male, Apollo is known for being effeminate and gender non-conforming. His physical appearance contributes to his feminine attributes, including his androgynous body structure, hairstyle, and clothing. This is exemplified in the genre of Apollo imagery called “Apollo Citharoedus'' or “Apollo with a Cithara (lyre)”