November 16, 2011

British Museum director would not consider returning the Parthenon Sculptures

Posted at 1:54 pm in British Museum, Elgin Marbles

More coverage of Neil MacGregor’s comments in an Australian Press article.

From:
Greek Reporter

British Museum’s Director Refuses to Return Parthenon Marbles
Posted on 31 March 2011 by Anastasia Miskedaki

The director of the British Museum was interviewed by the Australian newspaper “The Sydney Morning Herald” where he eliminated all possibilities of the return of the Parthenon marbles to Greece. Mr. Macgregor, states characteristically about the marbles: “These historical objects are worthy when they are exhibited in a whole, so, as a narrator of the whole human history, I think it is obligatory to find the best way for the marbles to be visited, as they cannot be embodied in Parthenon.” As he also said, in the two-page interview included in the Spectrum insert of the newspaper, the museum is willing to lend the marbles to Greece but the Greek government doesn’t even negotiate this possibility. When the new museum of the Acropolis was inaugurated, the British Museum was once more willing to lend the marbles, on a condition that the Greek government would recognize the rights of their possession to the British Museum. This proposition was straightly declined from the Greek government.

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2 Comments »

  1. DR.KWAME OPOKU said,

    11.17.11 at 7:00 am

    This is vintage Neil MacGregor all over again. Two sides are disputing ownership and one side states: If you recognize my rights, I will lend the object to you. So what is the dispute about?
    Kwame Opoku.

  2. Matthew said,

    11.17.11 at 9:03 am

    Every time he tries the same approach – set out unrealistic pre-conditions, then claim that the other side is being unreasonable, or does not want to discuss things, when the reality is that the barriers to entry meant that they would have to compromise their position before talks even started.

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