It is one thing that many ask themselves once they enter the British Museum and see the spectacular frieze of the Parthenon. Why is he in London and never in Athens? The reply has a reputation: Thomas Bruce, Earl of Elgin.
This British Army officer was appointed ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (then occupying Greece) firstly of the nineteenth century. He preferred that nice work by Phidias, the Parthenon marbles. So a lot in order that he needed them to embellish his mansion in Scotland. He made a (relatively obscure) settlement with the sultanate to take them away by sea between 1801 and 1812.
He argued that they might be higher preserved underneath his energy than out within the open on the Acropolis, the place they’d been for two,500 years. The British Museum agrees with him on this: he maintains that these marbles had been mendacity on the bottom, among the many ruins of the Parthenon. But Greece maintains that they had been uprooted with saws and with out a lot consideration.
An actor, forged because the Earl of Elgin throughout a protest in LondonStefan Rousseau – PA Images
What is definite is that in 1816 the Earl of Elgin, in poor health with syphilis and bankrupt, was compelled to promote the marbles. And though even Napoleon took an curiosity in them, he thought {that a} good purchaser could be his personal nation. In London there have been discussions: was that moral? Wouldn’t that be collaborating with the looting? Lord Byron spoke of vandalism. But the British parliamentarians had been much less scrupulous. And since 1839 the marbles have been on show within the British Museum.
What did the Earl of Elgin take?
Well, nearly half of the Parthenon frieze (75 of its unique 160 meters), along with 21 sculptures and 15 metopes. Greece – which gained independence in 1830 – is evident that Elgin was a full-fledged looting of its cultural heritage. Therefore, it has been demanding the return of those items for 200 years, though extra insistently within the final 4 a long time. In truth, in 2009 he expressly constructed a brand new Acropolis Museum to exhibit that it has an appropriate place to accommodate this archaeological treasure.
Egin Marbles, within the British Museum Nicolas Economou
Until now, it had solely acquired refusals or silence from London, however this week there was nice progress. First the Greek newspaper Ta Nea after which the British The Times confirmed a negotiation between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and George Osborne, president of the British Museum and former minister with David Cameron. It was a 5 star resort in London final Monday.
Shortly earlier than, Mitsotakis himself had stated at a convention on the London School of Economics that he “perceived” that progress was being made on the problem and {that a} “win-win answer” was doable, in statements quoted by The Guardian. Now it has been identified that these discreet contacts started in 2021.
The Acropolis Museum in Athens, from the hill of the identical titleNicolas Economou
From what has transpired, London doesn’t need to hand over possession, however it’s open to project formulation, akin to short-term or rotating exhibitions. But giving up the Parthenon marbles could be dangerous as a result of it might have a logical impact on different historic claims, such because the Egyptian one. In London is the biggest assortment of pharaonic artwork outdoors of Cairo.
In a rhetorical twist, the Museum hides behind the truth that its assortment isn’t correctly Greek, however relatively tells “a singular story of our widespread humanity.” And he argues that Unesco – which has agreed with Greece – isn’t an actor on this drama, as a result of it’s not a dialogue between international locations, however between museums.
Parthenon sculptures, exhibited on the British Museum Mike Kemp
But Greece has made this a nationwide concern and the loans will not be price it, and it responds utilizing the identical forex, the historical past of humanity. “If the marbles had been introduced collectively right here in Athens, in full view of the best image of democracy, it might be an excellent act for humanity,” Nikos Stampolidis, the director of the Acropolis Museum in Athens, solemnly proclaimed lately.