There is an active debate taking place in the spheres of politics, museum policy, and public opinion about the question of the repatriation of artworks. In specifics, their return to the original countries where they were create-d. It is a given that much of the artistic heritage of countries such as Egypt, Greece, and Nigeria (and many others – these are just some of the examples discusse-d in the articles below) are now house-d in major Western European and American museums. Examples include; the British Museum, Louvre, and Metropolitan Museum, far from where they were made.
But when should artworks that critics claim were stolen be returne-d?
While there have been near-universal calls for the return of artworks loote-d or stole-n by the NAZIs. Examples of artworks remove-d in earlier periods have prove-d far more controversial.
For this paper, read the articles linked below and articles include-d as attachments and watch the short video linked below. These are selecte-d from MANY newspaper, magazine, and academic articles about the issue. (in addition to these, feel free to seek out others online). They deal primarily with the British Museum, and issues surrounding the return of objects to Nigeria, Egypt, and Greece:
https://www.history.com/news/british-museum-stolen-artifacts-nigeria (Links to an external site<https://www.history.com/news/british-museum-stolen-artifacts-nigeria>.)
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/british-museum-wont-return-elgin-marbles-1449919 (Links to an external site.)
Also, <https://news.artnet.com/art-world/british-museum-wont-return-elgin-marbles-1449919>
Lastly, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/daily-videos/greece-seeks-to-bring-back-ancient-parthenon-sculptures-from-britain/
After reading these articles and watching the video clip
write a brief (400-500 word) response paper in which you address the following questions. (and please consider your answers carefully – these are complicate-d issues with little straightforward resolution):
-What are some of the arguments mad-e for and against the return of artworks stole-n or take-n in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries?
Which arguments (for either side) do you find most convincing? Is there anything that has bee-n left out that you think needs to be considere-d?
What factors do you think need to be take-n into consideration when considering whether an individual artwork or object should be returne-d to its place or origin?
Also, Are there some categories of artworks that it makes more sense to return than others?
Also, Give specific examples from the sources (you don’t have to discuss EVERY source your read, but you should discuss more than one, certainly).
Attachments
