The Parthenon Marbles

I would like to first talk about the British Museum and its displaying of the Parthenon Marbles encouraging aesthetics over historical context and then I will turn my attention to whether the Parthenon Marbles should stay in London or be returned to Athens.  I do not think that it is problematic that the museum display encourages aesthetics over historical context for many reasons, although I do understand and appreciate the argument from the other side.  First of all, the Parthenon Marbles are no longer on the Parthenon and have not been for some time, thus focusing on the artistic nature of the pieces.  I know that the Ancient Greeks did not make art “for art’s sake,” but it is, nonetheless, art.  Rather than placing the sculptures high up, where they would have been seen at the time they were made, is not only impractical because of the height that would be involved, but it would take away from the view currently available.  Maybe if the carvings and statues were still painted and were relatively the same as when they were first made, I could understand the historical context argument.  But to see the detail today, without the paint, it is easier to see as they are currently placed.  And because they are in a British museum and not on the Parthenon, it seems even more that they should be viewed as the art that it is.  I do understand the argument, but I believe that people can get more enjoyment and educational value with them being placed where they now are.

The tougher question for me is whether the Parthenon Marbles should stay in London or be returned to Athens.  First of all, who knows what would have happened to the marbles if they stayed in Athens?  They could have been destroyed or taken by someone else.  Don’t get me wrong, I believe what Lord Elgin did was greedy, self-righteous, and just plain wrong.  That being said, they have been in London for a few hundred years now and the British government did pay for them, granted they paid Lord Elgin.  As one of the articles pointed out, the return of these marbles to Athens would open up a Pandora’s Box.  Every country that has had works of art taken in the past would want them returned.  It is simply not feasible to do, and the courts would probably get involved and it would take years and massive amounts of money to find a solution.

Scholars claim that it is not possible to put the Parthenon Marbles back where they came from on the Parthenon.  But a compromise between the two countries seems viable and probably the right thing to do.  The British Museum has had these on display for many years perhaps they can sell them back to the Greek’s, since they did have to pay for them.  Lord Elgin did receive permission to take the marbles from those in control at the time.  A better idea would be something that has been suggested before, the return of the marbles in exchange for a revolving exhibit in the British Museum of other Greek pieces of art.  I know that some scholars claim that they marbles are too delicate to transport, and that should be taken into account.  But the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Athens just seems right.  With all of the history of the Parthenon and the museum close by, it appears to be a perfect fit.

With that being said, I am sure that the British Museum does not want to give back the treasure that is the Parthenon Marbles, but it would be nice if they compromised and returned them in exchange for a revolving exhibit of other great pieces of Greek art.