Greek Vs British

Britain is not interested in returning the marbles. Officials claim that the art is representative of the European culture as a whole and not just Greek culture. Hence they think it belongs in Britain where they are displayed at one of the biggest and most popular exhibits at the British Museum.

The Museums’ Take

The British Museum claims that the Acropolis Museum in Athens allows the rest of the Parthenon sculptures to be recognized against the backdrop of ancient Greek and Athenian history whereas the Parthenon sculptures in London are a primary symbol of ancient Athenian culture in the context of world history.

Recent Publicity

This controversy had received tons of publicity recently. The reason being, Amal Clooney, who is a British barrister, criticized Britain for keeping the sculptures. She is a part of the legal team who is advising the Greek government on various possibilities to obtain the return of the marbles.

It’s A No

Amal Clooney claimed that Greece has “just reasons” for demanding the return of the Elgan marbles and that Britain should be embarrassed for keeping them. Despite this statement, Neil MacGregor, chief of the British Museum denied to return them. According to him, the sculptures should stay in London because they provide “maximum public benefit” this way. 

Criticism For Bruce

Many people reprimand Thomas Bruce for the ruthless way the art was dealt with. Pieces were painted over and aggressively cleaned to the point that the surface of the marble was altered. Defenders of Bruce claim that he did the right thing by taking the artifacts as it preserved the Parthenon from being robbed even further. At least if they are in Britain, they are still accessible to the public.

Standstill

As of now, the two countries are at a standstill. But this has not stopped Greece from mocking Britain. The new Acropolis Museum of Athens has a gigantic abandoned section wholly dedicated to the stolen artifacts, just in case Britain ever decides to return them.