The saying “All is fair in love and war,” has become a well-established mantra throughout history, but it seems that some national museums are now expanding this statement to include art as well. Countries are clamoring for the return of priceless pieces of art that they claim were unjustly seized from their homelands while the museums that these items now occupy shout back that their ownership is inarguably legal and honest. The beloved Elgin Marbles of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece have become the epitome of both judicial and moral grey area in the arena of repatriation. The British Museum, where these marbles are now housed, and Greece both have strong cases for their desire to respectively retain or regain these artifacts of the Parthenon.
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After all, both Britain and Greece hold legitimate claims to the Marbles. Perhaps the best answer is a compromise: split the ownership between the two. While neither side would be able to hold the superiority of sole possession or the bragging rights of winning the argument, they each would benefit from joint custody and a loan rotation. It may be a pyrrhic victory in the legal sense, but the initial soreness of the matter would eventually fade, allowing the British Museum and the Acropolis Museum to have a more amiable working relationship. Unfortunately, some of the Elgin Marbles are too fragile to make the journey to Greece or back to England for that matter, according to Mcguigan. Nonetheless, other pieces of the statuary are able to travel back to their homeland and enrich the cultural experience at the Acropolis of Athens. It is important to remember that while the Elgin Marbles originate from Greece, they still are tied in with England’s culture. James Cuno, an American art historian and curator, quotes the British Minister for the Arts: “…[W]e too in this country are heirs to the classical tradition. I would say that the diffusion of the classical culture of ideas, values, and of physical relics and monuments over two millennia, had contributed in profoundly important ways to the history that has led to the emergence of the world we have.” A loan rotation would allow both Greece and England to connect with their past through …show more content…
Their original acquisition by Lord Elgin and their sale to British government have caused unnecessary strife and quarrels between the British Museum and Greece. The British argue that their legal point is stronger while the Greeks claim to have the moral high ground. While Greece has the greatest cultural tie to the Marbles, both of them have deep connections with the statuary; something future generations of Greece, England, and the world should be able to experience. This connection with the past can be achieved by agreeing upon a rotating loan between the British Museum and the Acropolis Museum. Neither side would be able to solely claim the Marbles as their own, but they would benefit from these artistic masterpieces the way that art is meant to profit mankind. The grey area that is the ownership of the Elgin Marbles may perplex lawyers, logicians, and philosophers for centuries after they finally crumble, but their original intent as art will forever be remembered: to inspire and amaze those who witness them. If Britain and Greece can agree to work together, they can help to perpetuate this purpose of the Elgin Marbles with a worldwide impact for centuries to
After all, both Britain and Greece hold legitimate claims to the Marbles. Perhaps the best answer is a compromise: split the ownership between the two. While neither side would be able to hold the superiority of sole possession or the bragging rights of winning the argument, they each would benefit from joint custody and a loan rotation. It may be a pyrrhic victory in the legal sense, but the initial soreness of the matter would eventually fade, allowing the British Museum and the Acropolis Museum to have a more amiable working relationship. Unfortunately, some of the Elgin Marbles are too fragile to make the journey to Greece or back to England for that matter, according to Mcguigan. Nonetheless, other pieces of the statuary are able to travel back to their homeland and enrich the cultural experience at the Acropolis of Athens. It is important to remember that while the Elgin Marbles originate from Greece, they still are tied in with England’s culture. James Cuno, an American art historian and curator, quotes the British Minister for the Arts: “…[W]e too in this country are heirs to the classical tradition. I would say that the diffusion of the classical culture of ideas, values, and of physical relics and monuments over two millennia, had contributed in profoundly important ways to the history that has led to the emergence of the world we have.” A loan rotation would allow both Greece and England to connect with their past through …show more content…
Their original acquisition by Lord Elgin and their sale to British government have caused unnecessary strife and quarrels between the British Museum and Greece. The British argue that their legal point is stronger while the Greeks claim to have the moral high ground. While Greece has the greatest cultural tie to the Marbles, both of them have deep connections with the statuary; something future generations of Greece, England, and the world should be able to experience. This connection with the past can be achieved by agreeing upon a rotating loan between the British Museum and the Acropolis Museum. Neither side would be able to solely claim the Marbles as their own, but they would benefit from these artistic masterpieces the way that art is meant to profit mankind. The grey area that is the ownership of the Elgin Marbles may perplex lawyers, logicians, and philosophers for centuries after they finally crumble, but their original intent as art will forever be remembered: to inspire and amaze those who witness them. If Britain and Greece can agree to work together, they can help to perpetuate this purpose of the Elgin Marbles with a worldwide impact for centuries to