Elgin Marbles Essay - 1200 Words - StudyMode.
One of the most well-known artifacts that were once on the Parthenon 's exterior were the Elgin Marbles. These sacred marbles were crafted by the well-regarded Phidias, consisting of an extensive amount of Greek ideologies and exceptional artistic impressions. The Elgin marbles were taken from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin and brought to Britain.
Elgin Marbles: the case for keeping In this step we will consider some of the arguments made by people who believe the marbles should stay in the United Kingdom. Pay close attention to these arguments as you will soon be asked to share what you think in an upcoming step.
They were originally called the Parthenon Marbles but they were purchased by the British Parliament from Lord Elgin in 1816. There is a debate surrounding the topic of whether the sculptures should be returned to Athens, and there are others who believe that they should stay in London.
Just as stated, it is their opinion. The following gives way to my beliefs that the Elgin Marbles should stay at the Duveen Gallery in Britain. The first section seeks to credit Lord Elgin and a legitimate purchase. The second section revolves around the Elgin Marbles as a symbol of Greek identity and why keeping them in Britain makes sense.
The scope of this essay is to investigate how important the Parthenon sculptures are in defining the Greek national identity through the events that occurred before and after the removal of the marbles from the Acropolis, their role as international symbols, and why they should be returned to Greece.
The quest to unravel the mystery behind who owns the past forces one to explore the debates concerning the Elgin marbles and the indigenous cultural objects. In both cases, there is a push from each side of the debate each party safeguarding and defending its willingness to own the indigenous cultural property.
Only a few years after Elgin took the marbles, the Greek War of Independence broke out and by 1832 they had become an independent and modern state. If you believe that the Ottomans were not the true government of Greece at the time, that they were an illegitimate occupying power, than you could argue that they did not have the legal right to sign away any antiquities, let alone the Parthenon.