Art, obsession, and identity
In early December 2024, newspaper reports suggested that the dispute surrounding the fate of the so-called Elgin Marbles may soon be resolved. The Elgin Marbles are a collection of priceless ancient Greek sculptures currently on display in the British Museum in London. But authorities in Athens insist the classical masterpieces were looted and shipped to the United Kingdom illegally. The controversy surrounding the artifacts has simmered for decades, with UNESCO at one point being asked to mediate in an attempt to resolve the situation. Yet while talks between London and Athens are moving in the right direction, nothing so far has been set in stone. So, how exactly did these unique works of art end up in England, and why are they called the Elgin Marbles?
Click through this gallery and join the debate surrounding these ancient Greek artifacts.
The Elgin Marbles refer to more than 30 ancient Greek stone sculptures removed from the Parthenon and other structures from the Acropolis at Athens in the early 19th century by agents working on behalf of the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin.
From 1801 to 1812, Elgin's agents removed about half the surviving artifacts from the Parthenon and other buildings, namely the Erechtheion, the Temple of Athena Nike, and the Propylaia, and had them shipped to England.
The majority of the sculptures were created in the 5th century BCE under the direction of sculptor and architect Phidias.
Elgin's idea was to establish a private museum to house the priceless artifacts. In fact, the acquisition of the collection was eventually secured by the British Museum in London, where today the pieces are known as the Parthenon Sculptures.
Elgin insisted that he removed the sculptures with permission of the Ottoman officials. Indeed, he was granted a permit (firman) to do so.
With questions being raised about the legitimacy behind the removal of the frieze, metopes, and pediments from the Parthenon, Elgin's actions were thoroughly investigated by a Parliamentary Select Committee in 1816 and found to be entirely legal, prior to the sculptures entering the collection of the British Museum by Act of Parliament.
However, the legality of Elgin's undertaking has always been disputed and the presence of the sculptures in the British Museum remains the subject of longstanding international controversy.
Elgin, a connoisseur of art and antiques, was apparently concerned about the damage being done to important artworks in the temples of Greece, then under Ottoman authority.
Afraid that these irreplaceable artifacts would eventually be destroyed because of the indifference shown by the occupying powers to such treasures, Elgin sought permission from the Sublime Porte, or central government, to document the sculptures, ostensibly for posterity.
Elgin employed artists to take casts and drawings under the supervision of the Neapolitan court painter Giovanni Battista Lusieri.
Elgin, however, began to remove material from the Parthenon and its surrounding structures under the supervision of Lusieri, items such as the Horse of Selene (pictured), apparently with the blessing of Istanbul.
Having been given the authority to excavate and take away the sculptures, Elgin arranged for their transport from Greece to England, via Malta, in 1802.
Elgin himself arrived in England in 1806, with the final shipment of what by now was known as the Elgin Marbles arriving on British soil in 1812. In 1816, the entire collection was purchased by the Crown for £35,000 (US$44,500). That's approximately £3.5 million or $4.4 million in 2024 figures.
The Elgin Marbles eventually passed into the trusteeship of the British Museum, where the 2,500-year-old sculptures were first displayed in 1832. The Greek authorities maintain that the sculptures were looted by Elgin.
Attempts to clean the artifacts in the late 19th century resulted in many of the pieces suffering irreparable damage. A further effort to clean the marbles ensued in 1937 ahead of the collection being housed in a new gallery.
The disputed artifacts were removed from the museum at the outbreak of the Second World War and stored underground at Aldwych tube station, one of London's subterranean metro stations.
As early as 1836, calls were being made by Greece for the return of the sculptures. In 1890, the city of Athens unsuccessfully requested the return of the original frieze.
Requests for the repatriation of the antiquities to their places of origin continued throughout the early part of the 20th century.
In 1983, the Greek government formally asked the UK government to return "all the sculptures which were removed from the Acropolis of Athens and are at present in the British Museum."
The Greek Minister for Culture and Sciences, Melina Mercouri, previously known for her acting career, visited the British Museum to underline Athens' insistence that the artifacts be returned.
The British Museum still refused, noting that smaller Parthenon frieze collections and fragments are also in the Louvre in Paris (pictured), and museums in Copenhagen, Munich, Vienna, and Wurzburg.
In fact, the Acropolis Museum in Athens displays a portion of the remaining frieze (about 30% has been lost or destroyed), placed in their original orientation and in sight of the Parthenon. Pieces removed by Elgin are represented by plaster casts.
In 2013, the Greek government asked UNESCO to mediate between the Greek and UK authorities on the return of the Parthenon Sculptures.
The UK government and the British Museum declined UNESCO's offer to mediate, though both insist they enjoy a good professional relationship with the Acropolis Museum.
In 2021, UNESCO concluded that the UK government had an obligation to return the marbles and called upon London to open negotiations with Athens. The following year, British and Greek authorities resumed talks on the future of the marbles.
The British Museum has expressed its willingness to lend its marbles from the Parthenon to Greece, but Athens has so far declined the offer. To do so, it says, would be to acknowledge the British Museum's ownership of any loan items.
Compounding the issue is the British Museum Act 1963, an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that forbids the British Museum from disposing of its holdings. Any change to the Act would have to be passed by Parliament.
The long-standing debate regarding the future of the priceless marble sculptures appears to be one step closer to being resolved after December 2024 newspaper reports suggested that talks concerning the Parthenon marbles between Athens and the British Museum are "well advanced."
In fact, two-way communication between the Greek foreign ministry and George Osborne, the chair of the British Museum, are moving towards "an agreement in principle" to reunify the antiquities in Athens, according to The Guardian.
Any agreement will be underpinned by a cultural partnership between the two countries, with the classical masterpieces returned to Athens and reunited with other pieces currently on display at the Parthenon galleries of the Acropolis Museum. But while talks are ongoing, nothing so far has been set in stone.
Sources: (British Museum) (BBC) (The Guardian) (Britannica)
See also: European museums you won't want to skip.
Why are the Elgin Marbles so controversial?
What exactly is the debate surrounding these ancient Greek artifacts?
LIFESTYLE History
In early December 2024, newspaper reports suggested that the dispute surrounding the fate of the so-called Elgin Marbles may soon be resolved. The Elgin Marbles are a collection of priceless ancient Greek sculptures currently on display in the British Museum in London. But authorities in Athens insist the classical masterpieces were looted and shipped to the United Kingdom illegally. The controversy surrounding the artifacts has simmered for decades, with UNESCO at one point being asked to mediate in an attempt to resolve the situation. Yet while talks between London and Athens are moving in the right direction, nothing so far has been set in stone. So, how exactly did these unique works of art end up in England, and why are they called the Elgin Marbles?
Click through this gallery and join the debate surrounding these ancient Greek artifacts.