Monday 30 March 2015

Elgin Marbles Tiff

The Greeks are still moaning about their lost marbles. The recent opening of The British Museum's exhibition Defining Beauty: the body in ancient Greek art, which includes the Elgin Marbles, was like a red rag to a bull. The Greeks have condemned The British Museum for rejecting mediation by UNESCO to help resolve the decades-old dispute over returning the ancient Parthenon sculptures to Athens. Why should we? The marbles were bought legitimately from the Ottoman Empire. Members of Parliament voted to give Lord Elgin - then ambassador to the Ottoman court - the funds to buy the marbles in 1816, then gave them to The British Museum for safe keeping. Shown is one of the scenes cut from the ancient Parthenon: A Centaur fighting a Lapith (CLICK).

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