BBC: The Elgin Marbles Documentary Continued

-          Reunited with the remaining pieces and create a whole image of the Parthenon’s sculptures- Elena Korka- Archaeologist, Greek Ministry of Culture, conceptually, historically

-          Neil McGregor- Director of the British Museum counters that half of the Marbles were destroyed and thus it would never give an accurate and whole image of the Parthenon’s sculptures

-          Building a new state of the art museum near the Acropolis to house the sculptures left behind by Elgin and other antiquities

-          Displays the Marbles in a similar fashion to how it was seen on the Parthenon, sense of recreation of the Parthenon

-          Gaping hole left as a final plead to the British Museum to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece

-          Some believe that by building the Museum above an important archaeological site, evidence is being destroyed

-          Greek government has suggested that the Marbles being returned as an indefinite loan and British Museum upholding stewardship over them, British Museum refuses

-          Some believe that there would be similar demands all over the world for return of sculpture but others believe that there are no other sculptures that belong to an important place such as the Parthenon 

BBC: The Elgin Marbles Documentary

-          Greeks also had a connection with the symbol and their antiquity- the Elgin Marbles, Parthenon

-          Created them, Greek identity, linked them to Greek nationhood, belong where they were made - Melina Mercouri interviewed in 1986

-          Pride, noble symbol of excellence, thankful tribute to democracy- Jules Dassin, President of the Melina Mercouri Foundation, what all the Greeks feel, you don’t take away a Greeks’ pride

-         Mercouri’s campaign in the 1980’s Debate became more heated, took the debate to an international level, ideas of maltreatment, neglect were used as an argument for both Greece and Britain

-          British Archaeologist, Dr Dorothy King believes that the Greeks have not been taking care of the remaining sculptures in the Parthenon during the restoration project, some 5^th century masterpieces  were still left on the building and others on the west frieze are still awaiting restoration

-          Therefore, the Elgin marbles should not be returned until they show proper care towards the sculptures they already have

-          British used the argument that the Marbles would not have been safe should they have stayed in Greece-          25^th September 1938- Director of British Museum John Forsdyke was walking in the basement of the museum, saw Marbles being cleaned by metal which broke the rules of conservation

-          Cleaned aggressively and damaged

-          However, Dr Dyfri Williams, Keeper, Greek and Roman antiquities of the British Museum discusses the fact that the background of the figures were cleaned aggressively and that the figures were not that damaged

-          He also states that the Greek technicians used a similar technique on the sister buildings of the Parthenon 20 years after in Athens 

The Elgin Marbles Part III

Video Description: 
Drama-documentary in which art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon tells the story of the greatest cultural controversy of the last 200 years. He explores the history of the Elgin Marbles, tells the dramatic story of their removal from Athens and cites the arguments for and against their return to Greece.


The Elgin Marbles, are a collection of classical Greek marble sculptures (mostly by Phidias and his pupils), inscriptions and architectural members that originally were part of the Parthenon and other buildings on the Acropolis of Athens. Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin obtained a controversial permit from the Ottoman authorities to remove pieces from the Parthenon while serving as the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1799 to 1803.
From 1801 to 1812 Elgin's agents removed about half of the surviving sculptures of the Parthenon, as well as architectural members and sculpture from the Propylaea and Erechtheum. The Marbles were transported by sea to Britain. In Britain, the acquisition of the collection was supported by some, while some critics compared Elgin's actions to vandalism or looting.
Following a public debate in Parliament and subsequent exoneration of Elgin's actions, the marbles were purchased by the British government in 1816 and placed on display in the British Museum, where they stand now on view in the purpose-built Duveen Gallery. The debate continues as to whether the Marbles should remain in the British Museum or be returned to Athens.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amppb0SJDWA

The Elgin Marbles Controversy Continued

The Elgin Marbles controversy has continued and the the debate was discussed at Intelligence Squared which ended with a motion of 384 to 125. Actor, Stephen Fry, addressed the audience in the London Cadogan Hall and stated that, "no matter how much the sovereign debt crisis means they owe us, we will never repay the debt that we owe Greece." He also says that returning the Elgin Marbles would be an act of "grace and decency." He also presented the idea that future visitors to the Museum could witness how the Elgin Marbles had been taken care of by the British and then returned to Greece. 

However, Tristan Hunt MP believes that the Elgin Marbles should stay in the British Museum which allows different cultures to be compared. He fears that by restoring the Elgin Marbles could lead to recoveries of various items by the countries of origin and would result in a loss of understanding and appreciation. He also states that the Marbles had been legally acquired with permission from the Ottoman Empire and that the Greek government had never challenged the ownership in an international court. 

Stephen Fry believes that since the Ottoman Empire had occupied Greece before but do not now, the argument was invalid. Andrew George MP believes that Lord Elgin had preserved the Marbles but believes that they should now be returned to Greece. 



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18373312

The Elgin Marbles Controversy

The Greek Government believes that the Elgin Marbles belong to the Parthenon and that therefore, they should reside in the Acropolis Museum. The Greeks have also pointed out that the marbles belong to the world as a reason for why it did not belong in the British Muesum. However, the British have stated that the Elgin marbles have now created "its own perch on society, having influenced neo-Classicism and Philhellensim." Britain has offered a loan of the Elgin Marbles in which Greece has countered that the British could have a loan of any art piece from the Museum if the Elgin Marbles were returned. Unsurprisingly, the proposal was turned down.



http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/arts/design/24abroad.html?pagewanted=all

The Parthenon: General- The Elgin Marbles

The Parthenon sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, were taken from the Parthenon in 1801-1803 by Lord Elgin with permission from the Ottoman authorities. The sculptures were transported to the British Museum where they have been put on display. However, the Greek government has argued that the sculptures belong in Greece and are demanding their return. This has sparked the controversy over who should house the Elgin marbles.



Image of the Elgin marbles displayed in the British Museum


http://www.skai.gr/files/1/STELIOS/POLITISMOS/elgin-marbles-british-museum.jpg
http://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/news_and_press/statements/parthenon_sculptures.aspx

The Parthenon: General

The name Parthenon comes from two sacred aspects of the goddess, Athena. The Athena Polios, meaning 'of the city' and Athena Parthenos, meaning 'young maiden'. Therefore Parthenon means, "Place of the Parthenos." The construction of the Parthenon began in 447BC and continued until 432BC. It was designed by a famous sculptor named Phidias under the order of Pericles, a Greek politician. The Parthenon was an example of a Doric style temple which was a simple style with plain columns.It is made of white marble surrounded by 46 columns. Most extraordinary was the giant 40 foot statue of Athena which is named Athena Promachos and is made of gold, ivory and wood.

The Parthenon has suffered much damage which included the stealing of the gold from the statue of Athena in 296 BC. In the 5th century BC, the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church and in 406BC, it turned into a Turkish mosque. The Turkish later stored gunpowder which exploded and destroyed the central section. However, more significantly, in 1801-1803, the Turkish sold most of the sculptures in the Parthenon to Lord Elgin who then sold it to the British museum. There is much controversy over where the sculptures should reside.



Bibliography: http://gogreece.about.com/od/athenssightseeing1/a/parthenonathens.htm
               http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110tech/parthenon.html
              http://sacredsites.com/europe/greece/parthenon.html

The Parthenon: What does it look like?

Image from: http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/Images/109images/greek_archaic_classical/parthenon/parthenon.jpg