Further images
Greek red-figure miniature lekythos with Eros and Aphrodite. Decorated with considerable use of added white and traces of relief slip. A seated woman gazes back over her shoulder at Eros who advances offering a goose. Palmettes and florals beneath the handle, bands of ovolo above and below the main composition. The underside decorated with series of moulded concentric circles. Intact, the surface with several minor chips to the glaze.
On Greek vases, the goose is often used to show courtship and pursuit. When Eros is depicted chasing, holding, or riding a goose, it reflects how love was understood as a playful chase, sometimes involving resistance or hesitation. The goose’s struggle helps express the push and pull of attraction, showing love as an active pursuit rather than a finished act.
Provenance
Louis-Gabriel Bellon (1819-1899), St. Nicholas-les-Arras, France; collection no.218In cursive text to the underside in pencil '19712'
Bellon was a keen supporter of the arts throughout his life. He was an amateur archaeologist and amassed a vast collection of antiquities. He numbered among his friends artists such as Dutilleux, Corot and Daguerre.
