The Clooneys and Art

The Clooneys and Art

The Gist

Ever since respected, multilingual attorney Amal Clooney née Alamuddin married Oscar winner George Clooney, her work has made news. It was reported that her honeymoon is now over and the British barrister has gone back to work helping the Greek government recover the Elgin Marbles (also known as the Parthenon Marbles) which have been in the possession of the British Museum since 1816. At first glance it may seem a simple argument: the Marbles were obtained by the then British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire under what many believe were dubious circumstances (all of the Ambassador’s “permissions” from the Sultan’s government have been lost). However, some argue that the return of the Marbles would set a very VERY bad precedent that would cause museums all around the world to lose their collections. Other famous artifacts that have caused similar rows have been the bust of Nefriti in the Neues Museum in Berlin, the Cyrus Cylinder and the Rosetta Stone, both in the British Museum. Greece, Ethiopia and Peru have all been successful in repatriating art in the past. However, none of the repatriations have been as high profile as the Elgin Marbles. As the centerpiece of the British Museums Greek collection, it is unlikely that Mrs. Clooney’s high profile will be enough to bring the marbles back to Athens...and now you know the gist.

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