A portion of the Greek vase display at the British Museum. London.

 

British Museum

 

As all three of you long time readers know, the British Museum is another of my must-visit places that I enjoy in London. I love looking at artifacts from all over the world and from throughout history. It’s simply incredible that so much could be housed under one roof and all of it is free to observe. I could also go on and on about the fabulous exhibits, but I’ll only focus on two items in this British Museum write-up.

 

The first item is the Great Court. I thought the British Museum couldn’t be improved. Boy, was I wrong! This remodeled area, which was completed in 2000, is a joy to behold. It gives the museum a lightness that I didn’t think it could have. Basically, the renovators put a glass roof over the Museum’s central court and then built a plaza around the Reading Room. The result is magnificent. I enjoyed going into the Reading Room and seeing the countless volumes of books on the shelves. The Reading Room also contains a historical atmosphere that’s different from the rest of the Museum because of the many historical personages (like Karl Marx, E.M. Forester, and Mark Twain) who have visited and used the room. The entire Great Court complex simply provides the tourist with another reason to visit. Even those who have been to the British Museum before will enjoy discovering this new addition.

 

Since the reason why we went to the British Museum was to look at the Elgin Marbles, it seems appropriate to give my perspective on the debate about returning them to Greece. For those who do not know, the Elgin Marbles are much of the Parthenon’s artwork (freestanding statues and relief pieces) that survived the explosion and fire at the building in 1687. Lord Elgin, the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, arranged with the Ottoman governor of Athens to purchase the artwork for his private collection in 1827. Once he found he couldn’t pay for it, he sold it to the British government, which promptly put it into the British Museum. There it remains today, despite numerous Greek government requests to return the art back to Athens. The whole issue is still a sore spot for Greek-British relations. The Greeks see it as a case where some of their culture was unlawfully sold off by an occupying force and thus should be returned. The British see it as a case where they bought the art fair and square, and that better care is given to the pieces in London than they would receive in Athens.

 

I had seen the Elgin Marbles on a previous visit. While I enjoyed the pieces on an artistic level, I was unable to appreciate the collection’s scope because I had no perspective on how much had been removed. Dianne had never been to the British Museum (even though she had been to London before). So, seeing the Marbles was a totally new experience for her. However, we both were now seeing them with the perspective of having been to the Parthenon. We now understood how much remained at the Parthenon, and what the quality of those pieces was. When we entered the room, Dianne exclaimed, “Wow. There sure is a lot here!” I had to agree with her assessment.

 

It’s pretty clear that Lord Elgin got the best of what was around in 1827. The pediment statues still on the Parthenon are equal to that in the British Museum. However, the best metropes are in London. And, it is especially true that the frieze’s best parts are also in London. About half of it survived the explosion, and most of the remaining half is in the British Museum. Only fragments of the frieze remain in Athens, and those are stored in the Acropolis Museum. In many ways, it’s a shame that this work couldn’t be rejoined with the other pieces in Athens and placed on the Parthenon. But, the Greeks probably wouldn’t take that step either. They would simply put the pieces in a museum as well, as they have done with the Caryatids. To me, the only way to put the pieces into their proper context would be to rebuild the Parthenon and incorporate whatever original pieces remain into the rebuilt structure. If that step isn’t done, then it seems to me that it’s irrelevant where the pieces are housed. In fact, the British may have a stronger claim, because (as they point out) the pieces in the Museum are in better condition than those still at the Parthenon (and yes, I do recognize that there is some controversy about the British Museum’s treatment of the Marbles. My own observation concurs with the Museum’s claims).

 

Of course, that position ignores the argument that one country doesn’t have the right to keep another country’s cultural treasures. Here’s where the issue gets a little trickier. The British did buy the works from the group (the Ottoman Turks) that was governing Greece at that time. True, they weren’t Greek, but the Ottomans were in charge. Of course, one could also ask if an occupying government has the right to sell the treasures of the people that they conquer. The moral answer is no, but it unfortunately has happened throughout history. So, should the buyer nation perpetuate the injustice by not returning them to their rightful owners? The moral answer to that is no as well. So, on moral grounds, the Greeks hold the high position.

 

Unfortunately, morality and artistic merits are not the reasons why the Greeks and the British continue to fight over these matters. For the Greeks, it’s a matter of national pride that’s been wounded. For the British, it’s all about money (the Marbles are a major selling point for the Museum’s fund raising efforts). So, a solution needs to be derived based on those points. Perhaps some sort of sharing arrangement can be worked out whereby the Greeks get to house the pieces, while the British get the proceeds generated by tourists visiting them. Maybe the British would be willing to sell back a portion of the Marbles. But, that’s probably wishful thinking. As long as the British hold the legal ground and the Greeks hold the moral ground, it seems unlikely that the issue will be resolved. However, the squabble shouldn’t prevent a tourist from seeing the Marbles. Art like this needs to be enjoyed by everyone regardless of where it is located.

 

My last sentence could apply to the British Museum in general. As many people as possible should enjoy the art and artifacts that are housed in the British Museum. The Museum makes it easier for this deed to occur by not charging admission during its opening hours of 10 A.M to 5 P.M. The only action left to make this deed a reality is for London visitors to make the British Museum a must-visit on their itineraries.

 

A portion of the Elgin Marbles. The Parthenon Frieze. British Museum.

 

Me (and two other people on the dole) checking out some of the Elgin Marbles. British Museum. A Dianne Lima photo.

 

                                                                                                   

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