I had an appointment in Bloomsbury yesterday. Arriving a bit early, I went into the British Museum.
For the first time in years, I went to look at the Parthenon sculptures, famously known as the Elgin marbles. Having learned quite a bit about ancient Greece since the last time I visited these rooms, I was completely overwhelmed by their impact.
But I was also surprised at another feeling: the Greeks are right to want these survivals of Attic Greece back in Athens, in the museum that is being built for them at the foot of the Acropolis. There is something terribly sad about seeing these great sculptures torn away from their origins.
Of course I understand that if they hadn’t been taken away by Lord Elgin, they would almost certainly not be in anything like their current excellent state. But that’s ages ago. Give them back.
In a minor aside, it’s a sad reflection of how the generally wonderful British Museum is using the Internet that a Google search for Elgin marbles finds you everything except the British Museum.