Parthenon Marbles Research Paper
The Parthenon Marbles, known also as the Elgin Marbles (pronounced /ˈɛlɡən/, with a hard “g”), are a collection of classical Greek marble sculptures (mostly by Phidias and his pupils), inscriptions and architectural members that originally were part of the Parthenon and other buildings on the Acropolis of Athens. Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1799–1803, had obtained a controversial permission from the Ottoman authorities to remove pieces from the Acropolis.
From 1801 to 1812 Elgin's agents removed about half of the surviving sculptures of the Parthenon, as well as architectural members and sculpture from the Propylaea and Erechtheum. The Marbles were transported by sea to Britain. In Britain, the acquisition of the collection was supported by some, while other critics compared Elgin's actions to vandalism or looting. There is controversy as to whether the removed pieces were purchased from the ruling government of the time or not.
Following a public …show more content…
This time the incentive was provided by the construction of a new Gallery to house the collection. The Pentelic marble, from which the sculptures are made, naturally acquires a tan colour similar to honey when exposed to air; this colouring is often known as the marble's "patina"[43] but Lord Duveen, who financed the whole undertaking, acting under the misconception that the marbles were originally white[44] probably arranged for the team of masons working in the project to remove discoloration from some of the sculptures. The tools used were seven scrapers, one chisel and a piece of carborundum stone. They are now deposited in the British Museum's Department of Preservation.[44][45] The cleaning process scraped away some of the detailed tone of many carvings.[46] According to Harold Plenderleith, the surface removed in some places may have been as much as one-tenth of an inch (2.5
From 1801 to 1812 Elgin's agents removed about half of the surviving sculptures of the Parthenon, as well as architectural members and sculpture from the Propylaea and Erechtheum. The Marbles were transported by sea to Britain. In Britain, the acquisition of the collection was supported by some, while other critics compared Elgin's actions to vandalism or looting. There is controversy as to whether the removed pieces were purchased from the ruling government of the time or not.
Following a public …show more content…
This time the incentive was provided by the construction of a new Gallery to house the collection. The Pentelic marble, from which the sculptures are made, naturally acquires a tan colour similar to honey when exposed to air; this colouring is often known as the marble's "patina"[43] but Lord Duveen, who financed the whole undertaking, acting under the misconception that the marbles were originally white[44] probably arranged for the team of masons working in the project to remove discoloration from some of the sculptures. The tools used were seven scrapers, one chisel and a piece of carborundum stone. They are now deposited in the British Museum's Department of Preservation.[44][45] The cleaning process scraped away some of the detailed tone of many carvings.[46] According to Harold Plenderleith, the surface removed in some places may have been as much as one-tenth of an inch (2.5