Since it’s much more likely that I’ll visit London than Athens, I’m selfishly in favor of the British Museum retaining the Elgin Marbles, which Lord Elgin kinda-sorta-legally removed from the Parthenon back in the 18th Century.
But the comments of the British museum’s new director, Neil MacGregor, are more than a bit, ah, goofy.
“Works of art of this level belong to humanity. The context of a universal museum is one that is of great value.”
He said it was “very disturbing”, “anti-world” and “worryingly nationalistic” of countries who wanted to reclaim what they had made.
That’s right. How “anti-world” it is for the Greeks to think that the Elgin Marbles should be in their part of the world rather than Mr. MacGregor’s part of the world. How “worryingly nationalistic” that they wouldn’t be in the British Museum — unless he’s going to have it renamed the “Universal Museum,” of course … or else put them on a traveling display around the world.
If the Brits want to keep them, fine. At least make it a straightforward “We have them, we’ve taken care of them, we’re keeping them” statement, rather than making it sound like the Greeks are being … well, unilaterialist cowboys.
I have some sympathy for the Greeks, but if the marbles had stayed there they’d be rubble.