Post #6 The Parthenon Marbles

Week #7 Greek and Etruscan Art

Lord Elgin transplanted the Parthenon Marbles during a time when only the aesthetics of Greek sculpture was being considered.  These artworks were thought of as beautiful and desirable and used in public and private buildings as decoration.  Once they were found they could be bought and sold with no consideration of cultural or historical context and it was all quite legal.  Greek sculpture was admired and valued by all of Europe but Britain was particularly powerful.  With their Empire near its height, the British may have felt that they were entitled to keep and hold the antiquities of the world.  Britain could conserve and preserve them but these art works also served as propaganda to point out how powerful Britain was and how many valuable art works were at their disposal from the areas they controlled or influenced.   I think they justified their practice of acquisition by putting many of the more famous pieces in museums for all the public to see but the historical context of the work was still destroyed.  Just seeing these sculptures was considered enough in the past but the opportunity to educate the public about the history and culture of Greece was lost.  I think the culture of the original country should be respected.  It’s pretty bizarre to think that a Greek person has to travel to England to see the sculptures that once decorated the Parthenon in his or her own country.  It’s also interesting that the ancient Greeks who made this art probably didn’t value the sculptures on the outside of the temple as much as they did the cult statue that was once inside.  These exterior decorations are all that we have left to squabble over, so we do.

The display in the museum brings the forms and images down to eye level.  As viewers we can see the eloquence of the figures and understand some of the stories being illustrated.  The anatomy is very evident as the figures are shown as unpainted, natural stone (a modern convention).  It is convenient for art students studying sculptural techniques and anatomical expressiveness to have the works near the floor and visible.  The works are already out of place and context in Britain so the manner in which they are displayed suits the surroundings.   We could call a museum taking historical and cultural factors under consideration a more modern aesthetic which has not yet been accepted by the British.  Their display could include these marbles or copies of them painted and hung up near a ceiling level that is approximately the height of the original Parthenon frieze.  These works would then be seen in a manner closer to what was originally intended.  This would be historical context as a new aesthetic.

The argument by the British that the sculptures would be destroyed by polluted outdoor conditions in Athens, Greece was invalidated by the construction, in Greece, of a new museum to house them near the Parthenon.  I think Britain is holding onto these art works as symbols of their past glory and power.  It’s got to be difficult to acknowledge that they are no longer the Empire that they once were by giving up the valuable things that symbolize the past.  The new propaganda would not be in the objects kept by Britain but in how they are willing to create good will by restoring these things to their original owners.   The marbles will be displayed in this new Greek museum and getting them back to their homeland and reuniting the history, culture and the original context will be steps in the right direction.  The return of the Parthenon Marbles could benefit both countries.