Parthenon Marbles British Museum Controversy
The director of the british museum has provoked anger by suggesting the removal of the parthenon marbles from greece in the 19th century could be seen as a creative act.
Parthenon marbles british museum controversy. The parthenon marbles a major money making display at the british museum have been the subject of an ongoing dispute between greece and the uk. The british defend their ownership of the marbles based on greece s lack of an adequate museum and the fact that they paid for the pieces mcguigan 2. The 2 500 year old sculptures were illegally torn off the parthenon in the 1800s taken to england and sold to the museum in 1816 by lord elgin. Controversy over their acquisition by the british museum continues to this day.
The british museum disagrees however claiming that the ancient marbles which are roughly half of a 160 metre frieze that adorned the fifth century bc parthenon temple were legally acquired by. The curious case of the elgin marbles. The parthenon sculptures have been the subject of debate for more than 200 years. It was on display there from saturday 6 december 2014 until sunday 18 january 2015.
The elgin marbles are a source of controversy between modern britain and greece it s a collection of stone pieces rescued removed from the ruins of the ancient greek parthenon in the nineteenth century and now in demand to be sent back from the british museum to greece. How brexit has revived controversy over the elgin marbles in britain. Elgin marbles collection of ancient greek sculptures and architectural details in the british museum london where they are now called the parthenon sculptures. In many ways the marbles are emblematic of the development of modern ideas of national heritage and global display which.
In 1801 a british nobleman stripped the parthenon of many of its sculptures and took them to england. The british museum says that the acropolis museum in athens allows the remaining parthenon sculptures to be appreciated against the backdrop of ancient greek and athenian history. The objects were removed from the parthenon at athens and from other ancient buildings and shipped to england by arrangement of thomas bruce 7th lord elgin who was british.