Module 3: Greece & the Etruscans (Ethical Question)
Should the Elgin/Parthenon Marbles stay in the British Museum or be returned to Greece?
This is a controversial question that has been debated for many, many years. When taking a deep look at how the Marbles go to the British Museum in the first place, it's easy to see why there is such a strong argument on returning them to their place of origin. I believe the same: that the Parthenon Marbles should be returned to Greece.
It's known that Britain has a long history of colonization and seizing things (and people) from other countries. The taking of the Parthenon Marbles is not exempt from this. While the man who got the Marbles in the first place purchased them, it was from the Ottoman Empire that had taken control of Greece at the time. Now that Greece finally has its own independence and can house the Marbles safely, the British Museum refuses to permanently return it to them.
I personally believe that the museum should return the Marbles to their original owner: Greece. Greece already has a museum constructed for the art pieces, and it has much more cultural and historical significance to them than it does to Britain. The British Museum has a lot of other art pieces that surely it will be fine without the Parthenon Marbles. I could see if Greece sold it to the British Museum that it would be a different situation, but they were taken from the Ottoman Empire, not Greece. That's not really fair to Greece, considering they are the original creators.
It's important to consider cultural values of artworks and whether or not the location of a piece is significant to its meaning and, most importantly, its creators. Though they could be just as important to the United Kingdom, we should recognize why the Marbles were made. They were crafted to remain in Greece, for cultural and spiritual purposes of the Parthenon. The situation is different than, say, a painting that was created by an artist that so happened to be in another country. The art is not tied down to a specific location. I believe if a piece of art was made to stay in one location, it should be there. You wouldn't put Michelangelo's painting from the Sistine Chapel in the British Museum, would you?
Citations
The British Museum, "The Parthenon, Athens," in Smarthistory, December 14, 2015, accessed September 12, 2021, https://smarthistory.org/the-parthenon-athens/.
Thomson Reuters. (2021, March 12). Britain is legitimate owner of Parthenon MARBLES, UK'S Johnson tells Greece. Reuters. Retrieved September 13, 2021, from https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-greece-britain-marbles/britain-is-legitimate-owner-of-parthenon-marbles-uks-johnson-tells-greece-idUSKBN2B41S6.
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