...The British Museum As the renown of ancient Greek and Roman societies exploded in Europe in the eighteenth century, the western elite developed a strong admiration for the accomplishments of the classical era, most evidently grace and purity of classical architecture. More and more new buildings were built in the style of the old, and a neoclassical revival was born. Many of Europe’s greatest buildings hail from this period; London in particular is brimming with impressive neoclassical architecture. The British Museum is one of the greatest of these (Cherry). Built during the revival by Robert Smirke, the Museum immediately evokes a great temple of antiquity, appropriate given its contents. The Great Russell Street façade, adorning the southern entrance, is a textbook example of the classical style; when I stood in the plaza outside, the building seemed to wrap around me with its grand ionic colonnade of 44 emanating from a central portico spanning eight columns upon which sits Sir Richard Westcott’s ornate frieze the Progress of Civilization, itself intended to be a preview of the wondrous spirit and content of the museum (“Architecture”). This facade is a perfectly executed architectural feature, making a strong stylistic statement in a manner coherent with the building’s remainder and the purpose of its interior. The rest of the building’s exterior that can be seen from the street lacks the dramatic impact of the southern façade, yet still possesses a sense of grandeur...
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...THE BRITISH MUSEUM TO RETURN PARTHENON MARBLES TO GREECE The Acropolis museum gives way for the Parthenon sculptures that are in Athens to be appreciated against ancient Greece’s backdrop. Museums are a valuable resource that provides an opportunity for the world to reexamine the past and the cultural activities associated with the history. The Parthenon sculptures are essential elements in the interconnectedness of the world and the political boundaries. The discussion has an argument on whether the British Museum should return the Parthenon (aka Elgin) Marbles to Greece. The Greek archaeology society was founded in 1830, and there in their first meeting, the president ordered the return of marbles. The people of Greece regard these artifacts as the symbols of their culture and their heritage. Historians also argue that the sculptures are an integral part of the temple structures that are still standing in Athens. The placement of the statues in London is unappealing to the Greeks since it is considered to be the biggest museum to tell us about the development in the ancient Greece. They are being used as significant features of the British identity yet they should be unified and viewed in a larger framework to present the Greek art in a chronological narrative (Fineberg, Amos & Lang, 1985). The British Museum was among the first museums used to enlighten society. The museum was considered beneficial to the public in the fact that it was used to expose the pieces of ancient...
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...Greece was under Ottoman rule, he removed sculptures from the acropolis and took them back to England, where they were called the “Elgin marbles.” In the recent past, there has been some dispute between Greece and England about his justifications in taking the marbles, and whether or not they should be sent back to Greece. After analyzing the two arguments, I argue that the Elgin marbles should remain in the British museum. The first reason these marbles should remain in London is because Lord Elgin was not sporadically taking things from the acropolis, but he did so under the full knowledge and authorities of the Ottoman Empire, who were at this time in control of Greece. Some may argue that the Ottomans didn’t have the right to give away artifacts of Greek history, but if they were the ruling power, who is to say they didn’t? The rulers decide what actions to take,...
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...belong in London; the other side is the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles, demanding their repatriation back to Greece. The people in support of the Repatriation pull emotional heartstrings, and Merryman admits that if this were a moral and emotional debate the Marbles would...
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...Britain. Firstly I will discussing Museums contribution towards Tourism. Britain's museums and galleries are among the very best in the world. There is no other country in the world with such a powerful range of museums, this tell us how much of a strong reputation Britain holds of having Excellent museums, Museums and galleries are key drivers of British tourism and play a significant role in attracting visitors and in building the British brand overseas. The British Museum has been established for 262 years being established for this long will mean they will be recognized and generally accepted. This museum is ranked 4th in the world, this is very impressive because compared to the other countries such as USA and China who are big nations and for the UK an island to be among them is great. According to the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) The London British Museum is the most popular visitor attraction in the UK, we know this because they have a record of 6,695,213 total visits a year (2014). Which is the highest figure recorded out of 40 museums in the UK. The London British Museum attracted 3.8 million visitors from abroad in 13/14 compared to attracting 3.6 million visitors from abroad in 12/13, as you can see there was an increase of 200 thousand visitors and this could suggest that there is increased demand from people abroad wanting to go to London British Museum in 2013-2014. Total Number of visitors coming to the museum in 13/14 is 6.8m and 3.8m of those...
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...for compiling the Ninety-one Cataloging Rules, based on the rules which he had created with his assistants in 1839, and for the construction of a new library building with the world famous Round Reading Room at the British Museum Library. Panizzi felt that a large catalog needed a consistent manner in which to serve the reader. “The larger the library is, the more you must distinguish the books from each other, and consequently the more fully and more accurately you must catalogue them…When I come to a great and national library, where I have those editions or works of “Abelard,” I have a right to find those editions and works so well distinguished from each other that I may get exactly the particular one which I want.” – Sir Anthony Panizzi. [Coyle, 2010] Figure 2 Sir Anthony Panizzi (Watts, Circa 1847) The cataloging system that he set up was the foundation for modern cataloging systems of the 19th and 20th centuries. The ISBD or International Standard Bibliographic Description, and digital cataloging elements such as Dublin Core have their origins in the rules that were set up by Panizzi. Panizzi had a major role in enforcing the Copyright Act of 1842, by which British publishers had to submit a copy of every book printed in England, to the British Museum Library. This enabled the library to increase its collection by not being dependant solely on donations or gifts. Panizzi is known mostly for the design and construction of...
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...Cultural riches from ancient civilisations belong in the places they come from. Many museums no longer buy relics, although many like the Louvre or the Metropolitan Museum are still increasing and restoring their collections. Some museums are trying to return these artifacts to their rightful homes. “About 65% of the original sculptures from the Parthenon survive and are located in museums across Europe. The majority of the sculptures are divided between the Acropolis Museum in Athens and the British Museum in London (about 30% each), while important pieces are also held by other major European museums, including the Louvre and the Vatican.” Everyone has the right to define what the past means for us. Not everyone may have the same understanding...
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...Parthenon sculptures from Athens to Britain after seeing the sculptures in ruins and in 1816 were acquired by the British museum. In 1999 Greece requested the return of the Parthenon statues for the first time. From then on the Greek and the British Governments have debated who gets to keep the sculptures. In my opinion the Parthenon sculptures should not be returned to Greece because; the sculptures were taken with full knowledge and acceptance from the Greek government, moving the marbles may cause more damage, the sculptures are easily accessible to the general public in Britain, the British Government has maintained the sculptures well since 1816, and without all the sculptures and the Athenian temple the original concept of balance through symmetry will never be as meaningful and understood....
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...will examine four of the most remarkable man made creations in the ancient world. The Temple of Artemis is an amazing example of human ingenuity. The temple is a Greek building made up of 127 marble columns that are 60 feet tall each (Browne). It was designed by Chersiphron, and erected at the expense of Croesus, the fabulously wealthy king of Lydia in 550 B.C (Brown). I took nearly 120 years to complete because of its’ sheer size and details that were carved into many of the columns. It is the largest temple of the ancient world because of the competitive nature that the Greeks had with the rest of the world during that time. What is amazing however is that it has been rebuilt three times. Its’ final demise was in 262 A.D (The British Museum). Another amazing ancient wonder was the Statue of Zeus that was created in 432 B.C, very close to the time when the Temple of Artemis was built. It is a statue of Zeus that was made of the ivory and gold-plated bronze. It was erected at Olympia for the ancient Olympic Games that were said to start in 776 B.C. It was made by erecting a wooden frame on which sheets of metal and ivory were placed to provide the outer covering (Ashmawy, 2006). It is regarded for its’ detail and size. People often comment more on it’s’ throne than the actual statue due to the statue being so high above those looking at it (Ashmawy, 2006). Unfortunately, the statue no longer stands because it was destroyed by fires....
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... The tail of the “Elgin Marbles” as we know them today begins with Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin who was the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire during the early 19th century. From 1801 - 1804, Ambassador Bruce hired men to take down the monuments of the Acropolis and shipped them to London. These monuments included pediment figures, friezes, metopes and parts of columns from the Parthenon. All of the pieces removed total over half of all the surviving sculptures from the Acropolis. After falling on financial difficulties and feeling pressure from art and political societies, Thomas Bruce decided to sell his collection to the British Government. The British Government had been debating the issue for some time due to the questionable methods used in the acquisition of the artifacts. Even with heavy resistance from the public and from the people of Greece, British Parliament decided the collection should be bought at a price of £35,000.00, and that the artifacts be displayed to the public at the British Museum. Benfield Page 2 For over two hundred years Scholars, and art lovers have seriously disputed the claim that the British Government has made regarding the ownership of the “Elgin Marbles” in the light of recent research and findings concerning the validity of the so-called firman Thomas Bruce used to acquire the artifacts and whether a British Ambassador was justified in using his position to acquire antiquities from the Government he was accredited to. The...
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...presentation in museums. In considering the question as to how views about the Benin plaques have changed and how these views are subsequently reflected in their presentation in museums, it might be helpful to consider the definition of art objects and how their interpretation can change when moved from one context to another. Understanding what we conceive as ‘art’ is an ever-changing abstract concept that requires knowledge of the contextual circumstances of its creation. In order to understand the implications in which the Benin bronzes are contextualised and how the display of these artefacts is approached from both anthropological and artistic view point I seek to examine the way in which the Benin Bronzes are interpreted. My evidence will be gathered using Nigerian historian Joseph Eboreime’s description of the Horniman Museums Africa collection and ethnographers Charles Read and Ormonde Daltons interpretation of the British Museums African Galleries using readings 2.6 and 2.7 of AA100 cultural encounters book 3 as well is referring to plates 3.2.22, 3.2.24, 3.2.25 and 3.2.26 of the AA100 illustration book. Regarded as some of the most important cultural symbols of the African continent, the Benin bronzes are highly acclaimed artefacts that have been subject to a great deal interest in the world of art history. Following the seizure of the Benin Bronzes by British forces, their arrival came at a time of increasing interest in Africa and growing British imperialism...
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...irresponsible and, to some degree, disrespectful. Before a meaningful exploration of ownership can be pursued further, critical details regarding the actual acquisition of artifacts must be examined. First of all, Thomas Bruce (more commonly known as the Seventh Earl of Elgin, or Lord Elgin), and his crew brought back to Britain 247 feet of the 524 foot long Parthenon frieze. In addition to the frieze, Lord Elgin acquired 15 of the 92 metopes that “surrounded the top of the Parthenon’s outer colonnade and recounted assorted historical mythical battles.” Seventeen pedimental figures and a few architectural fragments were also included in Lord Elgin’s acquisition. While yes, ninety-five percent of the removed artifacts are currently in the British Museum, it is important to note the...
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...in the Middle East, writing her crime novels and helping out with her husband's work. Travel by boat and on the Orient Express to far-flung places such as Cairo, Damascus and Baghdad inspired some of Christie's best-known works of detective fiction, including "Murder on the Orient Express," "Death on the Nile," and "Murder in Mesopotamia." Now, 3,000-year-old ivory artifacts recovered by Mallowan between 1949 and 1963 from the ancient city of Nimrud, in what is now Iraq, and likely cleaned by his famous wife using cotton wool buds and face cream, go on display Monday at the British Museum in London. Nimrud was a city in the Assyrian kingdom, which flourished between 900-612 B.C.. The ivories found by Mallowan and his team were originally made in what is now Syria and Lebanon and brought to Assyria as looted treasures. John Curtis, keeper of the Middle East collections at the British Museum says they make up "the finest collection of ancient carved ivories that have ever been found at an archaeological excavation" and are in good condition, possibly because of Christie's efforts. "Face cream in fact is quite a good thing to clean (artifacts) with. Obviously conservators now wouldn't use that but I don't think it's done (the pieces) any harm," he continued, adding that in fact it was quite resourceful of Christie to think of applying her Innoxa face cream to the fragile, dirty pieces. "Agatha, who was very conscious of being fifteen years older than her husband...
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...Today is a sad day for the world. Unidentified terrorists have bombed the Rosetta Stone which has been housed in the British Museum since 1802. Unidentified terrorists have significantly damaged the stone, which is most famously known as being the vital piece of information to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics. While the damage to the Rosetta Stone is significant, it has not destroyed it completely; however, much of the original Greek, Demotic, and Ancient Greek text has become in comprehensible due to the explosion. In speaking with the recovery team that is currently working at the British Museum, it is evident that the terrorists were seeking to damage only the Rosetta Stone. No other pieces in the museum were damaged. While it remains unclear as to the exact intentions of the terrorists, it is believed that the act was in response to the current political situation in Egypt. The world has given the current Egyptian political scene much attention over the past few months, and in damaged the Rosetta Stone, terrorists believe that they have discouraged those around the world who wish to use objects of cultural value for national gain. People around the world have expressed much grief and anguish over the act of terrorism, and yet many organizations have begun to restore what is left of the Rosetta Stone. As of today, it has been established that much of the hieroglyphic text was destroyed in the explosion. The fact that the bomb targeted the ancient Egyptian text, again leads...
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...Comparative Work & Bibliographic References/Resources My artwork is a funerary relief with portraits of the Gessii. The artwork dates back between 50-20 B.C. from Rome, Italy. I did some research to find another piece similar to the portraits of the Gessii and I found another funerary relief of Lucius Antistius Sarculo and Antistia Plutia. The two artworks are very similar. The funerary relief with portraits of the Gessii portrays Publius Gessius at the center, Fausta Gessia at the left, and Gessius Primus on the right. All three are family. Fausta Gessia, a former slave, and Gessius Primus, also a freed slave and son, were freed by Publius Gessius. This artwork was paid for by Fausta out of Publius’s estate. It should come to no surprise that the two people portrayed in the funerary relief of Lucius Antistius Sarculo and Antistia Plutia are Lucius Antistius Sarculo and Antistia Plutia. Lucius Antistius Sarculo was a free-born Roman priest and his wife, Antistia Plutia was a former slave. Looking at both artworks next to each other, you can already tell how similar they are. The artworks are both funerary reliefs. Publius Gessius and Lucius Antistius Sarculo look very much alike. The facial structure of both men look the same. Interesting enough both the men’s noses were cut off. Both men were free-born and their partners were freed slaves. There aren’t many differences in the reliefs. The relief with a portrait of Gessii has three people in the relief where the...
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