EG362
April 20 2012

The “Elgin Marbles” Many consider the Pantheon sculptures known as the “Elgin Marbles” to be the greatest pieces of art still in existence. Many people from different countries around the globe understand how valuable they are as pieces of history. Many people from different countries around the globe believe they were stolen. The tail of the “Elgin Marbles” as we know them today begins with Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin who was the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire during the early 19th century. From 1801 - 1804, Ambassador Bruce hired men to take down the monuments of the Acropolis and shipped them to London. These monuments included pediment figures, friezes, metopes and parts of columns from the Parthenon. All of the pieces removed total over half of all the surviving sculptures from the Acropolis. After falling on financial difficulties and feeling pressure from art and political societies, Thomas Bruce decided to sell his collection to the British Government. The British Government had been debating the issue for some time due to the questionable methods used in the acquisition of the artifacts. Even with heavy resistance from the public and from the people of Greece, British Parliament decided the collection should be bought at a price of £35,000.00, and that the artifacts be displayed to the public at the British Museum.
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For over two hundred years Scholars, and art lovers have seriously disputed the claim that the British Government has made regarding the ownership of the “Elgin Marbles” in the light of recent research and findings concerning the validity of the so-called firman Thomas Bruce used to acquire the artifacts and whether a British Ambassador was justified in using his position to acquire antiquities from the Government he was accredited to.
The “Elgin Marbles” should be returned to Greece. They were taken at a time when Greece was unstable and under Ottoman control. Anyone can understand that it was probably a good idea to safeguard the items at a time when Greece could not protect its artifacts from outsiders. That time however is gone, and while the country of Greece may be in the middle of a civil crisis, it would be hard to fathom someone from Greek heritage harming something as culturally valuable and priceless as the Pantheon sculptures.
Unfortunately the artifacts have not been as safe in British hands as the British Government wants to admit. According to an article for Mail on Sunday, by Nick Fielding, documents have been discovered bringing to light a cover up that lasted for over 60 years. While in the care of Sir Joseph Duveen, the “Elgin Marbles” were “over cleaned”. In truth they were smoothed down due to the ignorance of Sir Duveen who believed that the “Marbles” should be white instead of their current honey color. Scraping tools and abrasive substances were used to get rid of the chisel marks left behind by the original Greek artists. The people of Greece and art lovers worldwide were outraged to learn that the great works of art were abused.

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The Pantheon sculptures were taken under questionable circumstances and with little regard for the rest of the structure around them. In a letter to the New York Times
Entitled “Britain Can’t Feel Proud of the Elgin Marbles”, the lack of respect for the structure itself was shown when Lord Elgin’s hired men were extracting a Sculpted metope. A metope is a rectangular architectural element that fills a space between two triglyphs or vertically channeled tablets. While removing the piece it brought down and adjoining section of marble, scarring what little was left undamaged.
From the actual removal of the sculptures up until recent times the British Government has claimed that they are safe guarding the artifacts and it should be their continued responsibility to safeguard them. But from throughout the entire ordeal the British Government has done nothing but damage the artifacts more than they might have been if they had been left in Greece. To this day the “Elgin Marbles” are kept back from the Museum visitors so they cannot see the damage done by Sir Joseph Duveen. The Pantheon sculptures should be returned to Greece. If they are going to be damaged then they should be damaged by the ancestors of the artists that created them.

Work Cited
"Britain cant Feel Proud of the Elgin Marbles." New York Times: A.28. Chicago Tribune; ProQuest Newsstand. Mar 25 1994. Web. 24 Apr. 2012 .
Fielding, Nick. "The British Museum Scrubbed the Elgin Marbles Clean in an Extraordinary Act of Vandalism that it Kept Secret for 60 Years Shocking New Claims Will Astound Art Lovers." Mail on Sunday: 51. Chicago Tribune; ProQuest Newsstand. Jun 07 1998. Web. 24 Apr. 2012 .