Parthenon Marbles British Museum
The elgin marbles are a source of controversy between modern britain and greece it s a collection of stone pieces rescued removed from the ruins of the ancient greek parthenon in the nineteenth century and now in demand to be sent back from the british museum to greece.
Parthenon marbles british museum. The 2 500 year old sculptures were illegally torn off the parthenon in the 1800s taken to england and sold to the museum in 1816 by lord elgin. In many ways the marbles are emblematic of the development of modern ideas of national heritage and global display which. The acropolis museum allows the parthenon sculptures that are in athens to be appreciated against the backdrop of ancient greek and athenian history. The british museum disagrees however claiming that the ancient marbles which are roughly half of a 160 metre frieze that adorned the fifth century bc parthenon temple were legally acquired by.
The trustees of the british museum make the following statement on the museum website in response to arguments for the relocation of the parthenon marbles to the acropolis museum. Controversy over their acquisition by the british museum continues to this day. Ian jenkins the parthenon sculptures in the british museum british museum press 2007 ian jenkins greek architecture and its sculpture in the british museum british museum press 2006 mary beard the parthenon profile 2002 william st clair lord elgin and the marbles 3rd edition oxford university press 1998. Elgin marbles collection of ancient greek sculptures and architectural details in the british museum london where they are now called the parthenon sculptures.
The director of the british museum has provoked anger by suggesting the removal of the parthenon marbles from greece in the 19th century could be seen as a creative act. The parthenon marbles a major money making display at the british museum have been the subject of an ongoing dispute between greece and the uk.