Lucy Frazer, the UK secretary of state for culture, media, and sport has said that Greece must formally recognize the UK’s ownership of the Parthenon Marbles before any loan negotiations can proceed.
In a meeting of the culture, media, and sport committee yesterday (Wednesday, May 22), Frazer made her position on the Parthenon Marbles very clear, stating that “The British Museum trustees are responsible for the objects, they were legally acquired and we have no intention of changing the law in relation to those issues.”
When invited to discuss her stance on loaning the sculptures, she reiterated the importance of Greek recognition of the ownership of the objects, saying, “I think it’s very important that the Greek government recognizes that those objects are owned and have been legitimately acquired. Objects are loaned from time to time but it is fundamental that our ownership is recognized.”
The Parthenon Marbles and their Repatriation from the UK
The statues, which date back to the fifth century BC, have been housed in the British Museum since 1816, when agents employed by Scottish nobleman Lord Elgin removed them from the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis of Athens. Roughly half of the 160-meter frieze that decorated the Parthenon is in the British Museum, while 50 meters of the carvings are in the Acropolis Museum.
For decades, Greece has demanded the return of the Parthenon Marbles, claiming they were illegally acquired during a period of foreign occupation – which the UK government has repeatedly rejected.
George Osborne, the chairman of the British Museum trustees and former chancellor, is reportedly in talks to return the sculptures, and has previously said there is a “deal to be done” with Greece to share the artifacts.
Frazer told MPs that she rejected reports that the government had anything to do with Arts Council England (ACE) warning artists about making “political statements” following the body u-turning on the advice.
“We have not politicised the Arts Council, my officials have not required the Arts Council to do anything in particular,” she said. “They obviously have a large number of meetings with the Arts Council, where they discuss risk.”
The body warned venues and performers about work that touches on politics and activism in its relationship framework’s section on considering reputational risk in updated guidance.
In February, the wording of the document was changed to say ACE champions “freedom of artistic expression”.
The Parthenon itself has a complex history. It has been a temple, a church, a mosque, and is now an archaeological site. It has sustained significant damage throughout its long history, in particular as a result of an explosion while it was in use as an ammunition store in 1687; this left the Parthenon as a ruin.