Overview
`The British say they have saved the Marbles. Well, thank you very much. Now give them back.' Melina Mercouri, actress and politician Ever since the sculptures from the Parthenon arrived in England at the beginning of the last century, they have caused controversy. Based on a detailed study of both original records and recent discoveries, Lord Elgin and the Marbles is the authoritative historical account of the extraordinary circumstances in which the Elgin Marbles were acquired, of the tremendous impact which they made on modern appreciation of Greek art, and of the bitter reaction of Napoleon, Byron, and many others to their appropriation. In the last chapters of this book, William St. Clair now adds further fuel to the controversy by revealing for the first time some disturbing details about the treatment of the Marbles while in the British Museum's care, and of the British Museum's response to public concerns about this important cultural artefact.
Full Product Details
Author: William St. Clair
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Edition: 3rd Revised edition
Dimensions:
Width: 13.90cm
, Height: 3.60cm
, Length: 21.70cm
Weight: 0.557kg
ISBN: 9780192880536
ISBN 10: 0192880535
Pages: 434
Publication Date: 18 June 1998
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: To order
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.
Reviews
a measured, well-founded, wise, witty, and intensely interesting vindication. TLS
This ground-breaking book examines the dubious circumstances in which the Elgin Marbles were removed from the Parthenon at the beginning of the last century and also shows how decisively their acquisition and display by the British Museum in London enhanced the appreciation of Greek art all over Europe. There is a darker side to this story however; using official records previously withheld from the public the author reveals the irreparable damage done to the Marbles in the 1930s while in the care of the Museum and the subsequent attempts of the Museum authorities to cover up the extent of the damage, revelations that are bound to add fuel to the debate about whether the Marbles should be returned to Greece. (Kirkus UK)
Author Information
William St. Clair is the author of That Greece Might Still be Free, awarded the Heinemann prize by the Royal Society of Literature. He is also a leading scholar of Byron and Shelley and was awarded the Time Life prize and Macmillan silver pen for his The Godwins and the Shelleys in 1989. He is a contributor to the Financial Times, TLS and other journals, and a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford.
