The Elgin Marbles
Of all the museum collections in the world, none have such a tainted background as the Parthenon Sculptures in the British Museum. Upon mention of these sculptures, many heated discussions of imperialism, nationalism, ownership, and restitution arise. To understand this debate, one must disregard nationalism in order to neutrally examine the sculptures for what they are, art. This paper is an analysis about which country should be the proper house of the marbles based on the ideals of being reasonable and the knowledge of what the marbles truly symbolize. Though there are supportive arguments in favor of returning the marbles back to Greece, it would certainly remain in the best interest of the Parthenon Sculptures to remain in the British Museum. To be completely knowledgeable on this debate, one must know the origins of acquisition of the sculptures. During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, trends of examining ancient Greek and Roman culture took place in order to imitate many of the ancient social beliefs that influenced expansionist policies. This was evident all over Western Europe, but it was especially noticeable in England. In 1799, British man, Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin, was appointed t
The museum will be an empty hall that gives Greece, and the world, a constant reminder that the Parthenon Marbles are sitting in the British Museum. Bernard Tschumi won an international contest, where his architectural design was chosen to be built at the base of the Acropolis, overlooking the Parthenon. Using those ideals with a modern emphasis upon a culturally diverse education, the British Museum becomes the perfect house for the sculptures. It would prove the institution's commitment to their defense against restoring the sculptures, as well. Perhaps if this happens pressure will be applied to the British Museum, and they might be publicly forced into loaning the statues. Museums like the British Museum would certainly suffer the greatest, and as a result the world would suffer from the loss of such magnificent facilities. 5 million visitors a year, it is apparent that the Parthenon Sculptures are a very popular exhibit for visitor in search of a deeper understanding of the ancient Greek culture (http://www. Even though he is highly criticized, Elgin essentially saved the marbles from being destroyed. Since one of the main motivations for keeping the antiquities is to further display the education of the ancient Greek culture, what better place to promote this than at the Olympic Games. Thus beginning a slippery slope argument with the end result being the loss of all the cultural benefits natural to any museum. Any public beliefs of imperialism that The British Museum might have today would be taken back in a heartbeat. Even if they had been miraculously preserved from the Turkish troops, they would have been destroyed in one of the many wars that took place in Greece thereafter or the hazards of industrial pollution that plagues modern Athens.
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Acceptance Essays
