The Debate: Should the British Museum return the Elgin Marbles to Greece?
As rumours about talks to repatriate the Elgin Marbles to Greece resurface, we get two experts to make the case for and against their return in today’s CityAM Debate
YES: The sculptures were designed to be viewed together on the Parthenon, forming a narrative
The Parthenon Sculptures (AKA Elgin Marbles) were removed from the Acropolis in Greece between 1801 and 1805 at the instruction of the 7th Earl of Elgin. Although this was a different era, it wasn’t that different. By 1850, people already used Elginism as a derogatory term to describe vandalism of ancient monuments.
Elgin never produced unequivocal evidence of his permission to remove all the sculptures he took, and this is the basis for most legal claims. Beyond legality though, there is an overwhelming moral argument for their return.
The sculptures were created in Greece and remained there for over two millennia, with half of them still there. They were designed to be read together on the Parthenon, forming a narrative. Would anyone try to argue that pages of a manuscript would not be diminished if split arbitrarily between two locations?
While the sculptures may be prominently displayed in the British Museum, they mean less to most British people than to Greeks. They are not a central part of Britain’s cultural heritage.
The sculptures were designed to be viewed on the Parthenon. Where better for them to be displayed than in the purpose-built gallery at the Acropolis Museum, where they could be in the same configuration as on the Parthenon and within sight of their original location?
Our world is full of historic wrongs and few of them can easily be corrected – in the rare instance of those that can be, wouldn’t it be good to do so? We should take a moral lead and elevate Britain’s standing on the global stage, setting a new paradigm for how museums can operate in the 21st century.
Matthew Taylor is an architect and campaigner for the return of the Elgin Marbles from the British Museum to Greece
NO: Had the Elgin Marbles remained in Greece, they would likely not have survived
The Elgin Marbles were legally acquired by the British Museum through an Act of Parliament in 1816, after the British government purchased them from Lord Elgin, the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, for £35,000. While the Greek government continues to argue that Lord Elgin obtained the sculptures unlawfully, the reality is that a House of Commons committee at the time deemed the acquisition legal, and the sculptures were formally vested in the Museum.
Much of the current debate ignores the historical context. At the time, Athens was under Ottoman rule, and the Parthenon itself had already suffered significant damage. The removal of the sculptures arguably saved them from further destruction or neglect. Had they remained in situ, it’s very possible that they would not have survived the centuries of conflict, political turmoil and environmental exposure that followed.
Today, the Elgin Marbles are preserved under optimal conditions and viewed by millions at the British Museum and free of charge. They are part of a wider, global collection that tells the story of human civilisation in a way few institutions can rival. Despite offers to loan the marbles to Greece for temporary exhibitions, these have been rejected, suggesting that the conversation is less about public access and more about political symbolism.
In a modern, interconnected Europe, where affordable travel is widely available, those wishing to see these extraordinary works of classical art can easily do so in London. More importantly, if we begin returning historical artefacts based on shifting modern perspectives, we risk setting a precedent that would unravel museum collections across the world.
Rather than dismantling the global accessibility of art, we should focus on shared custodianship, responsible preservation and the universal value these works provide in their current setting.
James Ryan is CEO of Grove Gallery
THE VERDICT
Should we, shouldn’t we – the debate over whether the UK should return the Elgin Marbles to Greece has caused controversy for decades. But rumours this week that talks have resumed, plus straight-up reports that British Museum chairman George Osborne has agreed for the Marbles’ return (denied by the Museum), have brought the debate right back into the spotlight.
Both the cases for and against emphasise the importance of context, specifically that around when and how the marbles were acquired. But regardless of what narrative we settle on for their acquisition, is it not also right to consider the context of today: are the Elgin Marbles really best-placed to be housed in London?
Perhaps a question that can help us each individually answer that is asking oneself: when did I, a Londoner, last myself think to go visit this city’s cherished Marbles? Let’s be honest with ourselves: they don’t mean as much in London as they do in Greece, and, as Mr Taylor raises, having the collection divided makes no sense at all.