Assignment: "Popular Debate"

Directions

A popular debate is whether art should be returned to its cultural homeland. There are numerous legal cases involving this debate. The question is whether museums should be required to return their art and artifacts, especially if acquired during conquests and wars. One of the most infamous cases commonly referred to is that of The Elgin Marbles.

1. Please review the following:

British Museum's argument for keeping these infamous pieces of Greek artwork:

o http://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/news_and_press/statements/parthenon_sculptures.aspx

The idea of "Cultural Property" is discussed in this article on the same topic:

o http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greeks/parthenon_debate_01.shtml

2. After reading both articles, do you believe The Elgin Marbles should stay in London or should they be returned to Athens? Why or why not? Provide at least 10 complete sentences to justify your opinion with ample reasoning.

Also RESPON to two student paper with a paragraph

1) I personally like the idea of considering art as something we all own, the whole world, rather than one country or one city. When studying history I came to find that we all have stolen from each other at some point in hitsory. There have been wars, people and things have been taken away, relocated or even destroyed. People have gotten ideas for art from other people in other places, so in a sense they have "stolen" ideas. At this point in time it should not really matter where pieces of art are located. We still keep in mind who created them at first and where they have originally been located. However, people feel proud of their culture. The Greek culture has been inspirational to all artists to come and all epochs to come. Therefore, it is understandable that Greeks consider this sculpture as something that represents their history and their influence on world history. When Lord Thomas Elgin took away the sculpture he may have done it to preserve it and the Greeks should be very grateful for that. However, the reasons why Elgin took away the sculpture are not known for sure. Furthermore, despite the fact that Britain has helped preserved those pieces of art they originally belong in the Parthenon in Greece where they have first been created. I feel like Britain should realize that despite the fact thatElgin helped preserve the sculpture it is part of the Greek national pride. The Parthenon might be even more of an attraction if it had those pieces of art in it. That is why, although I personally think that it would not matter to me as a person, Britain should return the sculpture to where it has first been created and where it is part of one of the oldest cultures there are.

2). I definitely think at the given time that the Elgin Marbles should have been removed from Athens mainly due to the instability of the region and the heightened violence that came with it. For example, the Parthenon in Athens was almost completely destroyed in 1687 while under siege by the Venetians. On another note, many of the building blocks as stated by Mary Beard were reused for houses or cement while smaller pieces were already being openly taken for personal gain. The artwork and creativity that had been created wasn't being appreciated for what it was and during that time nobody was worried about it. I do feel as if Lord Elgin saw an opening in which he could acquire these valuable objects as the country he was in was in its own instability with war and as the Ottoman Empire came about was a new and upcoming regime.

I can definitely see this both ways, whether done selfishly or unselfishly the Elgin Marbles have benefited London in a huge way. The love for art has attracted many tourists to these sites and in turn has boosted the economy for London and most importantly educated many people around the world of the Greek culture and their amazing creativity. I do feel for the people of Greece and the fact that the Elgin Marbles originated in Athens and to keep them there would fully complete the atmosphere of where they came from. However, at the same time they have been in the British Museum for such a long time that it would take away from its history. It's a tough decision and I don't think it will be resolved any time soon and when it does I absolutely believe that there will be some sore people in the outcome.