Gazing from the gallery: the Betende Knabe and the politics of display

Laura Moretti

doi:10.1007/s12138-026-00752-5

Gazing from the gallery: the Betende Knabe and the politics of display

Laura Moretti^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This study explores the display history of the Betende Knabe, a Greek bronze statue currently in Berlin, exploring the interplay between this enigmatic figure and its ever-changing role within the spaces it has inhabited. The article analyses how the object’s presentation has evolved throughout its travels, from private collections to prestigious museums, bearing silent witness to seismic shifts in European history. By considering the Betende Knabe as a site of artistic expression and a platform for political commentary, the article offers a richer understanding of the relationships between art, display, and power structures within museum and gallery walls.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-44
Journal	International Journal of the Classical Tradition
Volume	Latest articles
Early online date	18 May 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s12138-026-00752-5
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 18 May 2026

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10.1007/s12138-026-00752-5

Moretti_2026_IJCT_Gazing-from-gallery-Betende-Knabe-politics-of-display_CCBY
Copyright © 2026 The author(s). This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder.
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Object History and Museum Display: Object History and Museum Display. The Adventurous Life of the Berlin 'Adorante'
Moretti, L. (PI)
Leverhulme Trust
1/09/21 → 31/07/22
Project: Fellowship

Cite this

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author = "Laura Moretti",

note = "This research was supported by an International Research Fellowship from The Leverhulme Trust (2021–22) and a Research Grant from the International Scholarship Program, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (2022).",

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Gazing from the gallery: the Betende Knabe and the politics of display

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Object History and Museum Display: Object History and Museum Display. The Adventurous Life of the Berlin 'Adorante'

Cite this