Should the british museum return the elgin marbles books

Why wont the british museum return the elgin marbles to. July 11 this year is the 200th anniversary of the act of parliament that saw the uk buy 2,500yearold sculptures taken from the parthenon from the then earl of elgin. Now that they are at the british museum little can be done about it without significant damage being caused. Will boris johnson right our colonial wrongs and return the elgin. After various adventures, the marbles were bought in 1816 by the british government, and housed in the british museum, where they are now displayed in the fine gallery presented to the nation in 1939 by the generosity of lord. The british museum continues to seek new ways to study and interpret the parthenon sculptures, and to share them as widely as possible. The british museum says it will never return the elgin marbles. This story appears in the marchapril 2017 issue of national geographic history magazine. Feb, 2014 the elgin marbles why their home is here george clooney may claim otherwise, but this is an age of shared cultural heritage, and the elgin marbles should stay at the british museum, says mark. Now in a new book on one of the worst examples of state sanctioned art. While elgin marbles debate rages, there is still a market for. The parthenon marbles should not be returned to greece art. Greek pupils demand return of elgin marbles bbc external links. British museum rules out returning elgin marbles to greece after.

We were allowed to wander around on our own for a little while, but then we had a tour. British museum director hartwig fischer is facing international backlash after defending an english noblemans removal of sculptures from the. The british museum says it will never return the elgin. The british museum has unequivocally stated that it will not return the marbles to greece but, maybe the country has some options. Christopher hitchens is a contributing editor to vanity fair and the author of the bestselling god is not great.

Oct 18, 2007 the british museum must hold its ground. In this spirit, the sculpture of the rivergod ilissos was exhibited in the state hermitage museum, st petersburg, in 2014, to mark the 250th anniversary of that museums foundation. British museum rules out returning elgin marbles to greece. I was given a guided tour of the parthenon and new acropolis museum by a woman called maria from the marbles reunited association. The parthenon marbles were the most sublime part of the temple to athena. In 20, unesco asked the british museum to let it mediate a deal between it and the government of greece, which has been calling for the return of the elgin marbles with evergrowing fervor for. These treasures are collectively known as the elgin marbles, or the parthenon marbles, or sometimes as just the marbles. His books published by verso include the trial of henry kissinger, no one left to lie to, the missionary position, unacknowledged legislation, the parthenon marbles, hostage to history, and more. Elgin marbles project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. The british museum and the art loss register help to return important kushan sculpture to afghanistan. Return of elgin marbles would ruin museums, warns leading historian.

This article is about the ancient marble sculptures. Debate over where the sculptures should be located has raged for more than 200 years, with labour leader jeremy corbyn pledging to return. Last month, the economist magazine asked members of parliament whether, if there were a free vote on the matter, they would vote for or against returning the elgin marbles to greece. Ahead of the event, museums journal wants to know whether you think the parthenon marbles should be returned to greece. The parthenon sculptures in the british museum british. Museums should resist the pressure to repatriate ancient artefacts. Greece ups pressure for parthenon marbles return museums. If lord elgin hadnt rescued them from the parthenon in athens and presented them to the british museum almost 200 years ago, these exquisite sculptures the finest embodiment of the classical ideal of beauty and harmony would have been lost to the ravages of pollution and time. Oct 10, 2014 return of elgin marbles would ruin museums, warns leading historian. Apr 01, 2015 in 20, unesco asked the british museum to let it mediate a deal between it and the government of greece, which has been calling for the return of the elgin marbles with evergrowing fervor for.

They are now on display at the british museum having been bleached. I was interviewed about my book greek to me, which has a chapter on the acropolis. The british museum is of course not the only museum outside greece to hold parthenon marbles. A leading oxford historian has warned that the return of the elgin marbles to athens would ruin major museums. Why is the british museum still fighting to keep the elgin marbles.

Do you think the elgin marbles, which currently reside in the. Below the video is what i subsequently wrote in the book, along the med on a bike called reggie. British museum announces major exhibition on the arctic. British people tend to think elgin marbles should be. Housed in the british museum, the marbles serve a far larger audience in london than they would if they were sent back to athens.

Apr 21, 2015 the british museum, of course, knows all about the latter. In a recent interview with the greek newspaper, ta nea, uk labour leader jeremy corbyn promised to return the elgin marbles to. Why the british museum should keep the elgin marbles. Seven reasons to return the elgin marbles to greece. Several members of the cast of the film the monuments men made headlines for expressing the view that the british museum should return the elgin marbles to. Should the british museum, the current home of the sculptures, yield to greek.

Pressured to return the elgin marbles, should the british. Greek culture minister lydia koniordou wrote to jeremy wright, the culture secretary, inviting uk officials to greece to discuss the return of the ancient sculptures, also known as the elgin marbles. For those that think the british museum should keep. The risk from pollution and earthquake is too great to reinstall. While elgin marbles debate rages, there is still a market. The british museum says it will never return the elgin marbles, defending their removal as a creative act hartwig fischers statements are already drawing international backlash. Voices seven reasons to return the elgin marbles to greece.

Sir john boardman, emeritus oxford professor of classical archaeology and art, said the move would set an appalling precedent, resulting in museums worldwide having to give up artifacts they had held for decades. Its a collection of stone pieces rescuedremoved from the ruins of the ancient greek parthenon in the nineteenth century, and now in demand to be sent back from the british museum to greece. The 2,500yearold elgin marbles were taken from the parthenon in athens 200 years ago, and are still in the british museum in london. New research by yougov appears to support mr clooneys claims about public opinion.

Question is pretty simple, in the british museum are parts of a marble frieze from the parthenon in athens. The sculptures, which lord elgin removed from the parthenon in athens 200 years ago and sold to the british museum, are also known as the parthenon marbles for their original home. The marbles are children of the parthenon, and they belong to the parthenon they belong to greece. Return of elgin marbles would ruin museums telegraph. Editorial urges british museum to approach parliament for legal authority to return elgin marbles to greece. Eight reasons why the elgin marbles should be returned to. The early reception of the elgin marbles apollo, june 2007, pp. Williams answered their scathing interjections with a wellrehearsed summary of the issues key points and complexities of the issue, and it was clear he encountered such. A selftouted hellenophile and punctuation freak, new yorker magazine culture columnist mary norris, writing about chinese president xi jinping getting on the bandwagon for the british museum to return to greece the stolen parthenon marbles was caught by surprise earlier this year at an event in wales where she was asked what she thought. Should the elgin marbles stay at the british museum. Countries are calling on the museum to return looted items like the rosetta stone, the elgin marbles and 4,000 bronze sculptures from the kingdom of benin. Opinion return the parthenon marbles the new york times. Their original sin committed by their lord elgin, and the sin of the crime of our civilization of the 21st century that violates the values and the principles of the legal and moral law by keeping the marbles in their british museum.

Greek campaigners believe the carvings should be returned to athens, and claim that they have been irreparably damaged by cleaning at the museum in. Why then should the marbles be considered a greater part of greeces cultural heritage than britain s. Theyve been in british hands since the early 19th century when lord elgin made a deal with the local occupying power, the ottomans, to either take the marbles or sketch them there seems to be some argument as the original ottoman decree is lost. Robert browning 18121889 was one of the foremost victorian poets and. British museum boss rules out returning the stolen elgin marbles to greece as he says there is an obligation to preserve the collection in its. Mary beard, the parthenon profile books, 2004 isbn 9781861973016 marc fehlmann, casts and connoisseurs. Why the elgin marbles should stay in the british museum. The parthenon sculptures should be returned to greece bartleby. That wouldnt happen if the british museum returned its marbles. The sculptures have been displayed in the british museum since the early 19th century, after they were transported from greece by thomas bruce.

I note that the parthenon elgin marbles are in the news. Why returning the elgin marbles to greece would be madness. The british government purchased the marbles from lord elgin at a fraction of the price it actually cost him to retrieve them, and the british museum have exhibited the. Bbc news talking point should the elgin marbles stay. Based on their immeasurable contributions to humanitys historical and artistic legacy, they are considered by many to be best seen within the context of a world collection. The elgin marbles, 1 also known as the parthenon marbles, are a collection of classical greek marble sculptures made mostly by greek sculptor phidias and his assistants, inscriptions and architectural pieces that were originally part of the temple of the parthenon and other buildings on the acropolis of athens. So, rather than baselessly maligning elgin, we should be thanking him. Should the uk return the parthenon marbles to greece. Two hundred years ago, the uk bought sculptures from the parthenon from the earl of elgin its time to send them back and heres why.

Dec 04, 1999 as for the ownership issue, the greeks and the british could wrestle over whether the marbles should bear a little on loan from the british museum label. There is no law that historic treasures should be in their country of origin. Eight reasons why the elgin marbles should be returned to greece posted at 1. Whats all this nonsense about sending the parthenon marbles back to greece. How the parthenon lost its marbles history magazine. If there was, the british museum would be mostly empty. The british museum, of course, knows all about the latter. As for the ownership issue, the greeks and the british could wrestle over whether the marbles should bear a little on loan from the british museum label. The acropolis museum in athens is ready to rehouse the marbles and have visitors view these unique objects at their greatest advantage and close to their original position. Removed from greece more than 200 years ago, the elgin marbles now fuel a. But it holds the most, by far though fewer than perhaps it wishes to give the impression it does, and the museums trustees moreover up the ante by claiming that what it holds, it also in some useful, legal sense, owns. Should the parthenon marbles be returned to greece. Jan 27, 2019 the director of the british museum has appeared to rule out returning the elgin marbles to greece after its government demanded britain open negotiations over their return last year. S ince they were first acquired in 1816, britain has never seriously considered returning the sculptures collectively known as the elgin marbles to their place of origin.

The elgin marbles were removed from the acropolis in athens by lord elgin in the early 1800s and housed in the british museum in 1817. And i think people should shut up and look at the art, instead of turning it into a trite talking point. Feb, 2009 the british protected the marbles from being damaged during the greek war of independence between 1821 and 1833 when the parthenon was used as an ottoman munitions store and subsequently attacked. The objects were removed from the parthenon at athens and from other ancient buildings and shipped to england by arrangement of thomas bruce, 7th lord elgin, who was british. Feb 02, 2002 editorial urges british museum to approach parliament for legal authority to return elgin marbles to greece. Dec 26, 2018 countries are calling on the museum to return looted items like the rosetta stone, the elgin marbles and 4,000 bronze sculptures from the kingdom of benin.

The british committee for the reunification of the parthenon marbles is holding an international symposium on 19 june at the london hellenic centre to discuss the return of the marbles to greece. British committee for the reunification of the parthenon marbles. Once more, britain refuses to return the elgin marbles. Beautiful and iconic, they are given pride of place in the museum and considered one of the collection highlights, but their situation there.

On display at the british museum, this collection of classical greek marble sculptures assumed their name after they were acquired by britains lord elgin from greece in the early 1800s. We stopped in athens for a night, obviously, and the next day we went to the akropolis museum. Why the elgin marbles should stay in the british museum february 15, 2010 by tim salmon i have fired off letters to the press and others about this matter over the years, with about as much effect as pissing in the wind. For those that think the british museum should keep hold of these greek treasures, i beg you to visit the museum in room and see what the greeks have done to create a space for displaying them upon their return. Successive governments have argued that they are better preserved and more accessible in the british museum, their current home. In conclusion, even if the british museum feels inclined to return elgins marbles, huge parts of museums would have to be returned and the toll would damage international heritage and ruin the finances of hundreds of museums.

Just as italy leveraged its vast collections and archaeologically. Yes, we should return the elgin marblesand all the other. The elgin marbles why their home is here telegraph. These are the elgin marbles if you ask the british, the parthenon marbles if you ask the greeks. The elgin marbles are a source of controversy between modern britain and greece. The parthenon marbles, seen wednesday at the british museum in london. A couple of years ago, i went to greece on a trip for class civ. It is not up to the british museum what happens to the elgin marblesits the government. Jul 11, 2016 voices seven reasons to return the elgin marbles to greece. Feb 21, 2020 these are the elgin marbles if you ask the british, the parthenon marbles if you ask the greeks. A portrait depicting the elgin marbles in a temporary elgin room at the british museum surrounded by museum staff, a trustee and visitors, 1819 when the marbles were shipped to england, they were an instant success among many 9 who admired the sculptures and supported their arrival, but both the sculptures and elgin also received criticism. The akropolis museum also already has an exhibit set up to display the complete parthenon marbles, including the ones currently in the british museum, so there would be no difficulty at all finding a place to put the elgin marbles should they be returned. Will the british museum ever return these stolen artifacts. The director of the british museum has appeared to rule out returning the elgin marbles to greece after its government demanded britain open negotiations over their return last year.

The parthenon marbles were takenor rescued, depending on your point of viewfrom the acropolis by lord elgin in the early nineteenth century and now reside in the british museum. It all left elgin with a gargantuan debt that took his estate almost a century to clear. The elgin marbles, designed and executed by phidias to adorn the parthenon, are some of the most beautiful sculptures of ancient greece. British museum rules out returning elgin marbles to. In a recent interview with the greek newspaper, ta nea, uk labour leader jeremy. They were originally part of the temple of the parthenon and other buildings on the acropolis of athens.

Elgin marbles, collection of ancient greek sculptures and architectural details in the british museum, london, where they are now called the parthenon sculptures. The parthenon marbles, also known as the elgin marbles, are one of the mustsee collections held by londons british museum. Seven reasons to return the elgin marbles to greece the. Several members of the cast of the film the monuments men made headlines for expressing the view that the british museum should return the elgin marbles to athens after their very nice stay. Widely known in britain as the elgin marbles, campaigners believe it is time to send them back to athens to allow all the surviving sculptures to be reunited. A nobleman saved them 200odd years ago if you ask the british, and he stole them if you ask the.