Since the beginning of the 19th century and the arrival of the Parthenon marbles in London, Greece and the United Kingdom have been competing for the most beautiful pieces of the Panathenaic frieze.
The Greek state is demanding the restitution of these masterpieces kept in the British Museum, as well as other elements of the sculpted decoration of the Greek temple.
After decades of fighting between the two countries, would the balance eventually tip in Greece's favor?
Part of the Panathenaic frieze kept at the British Museum LEON NEAL / AFP
The question has arisen since the misadventures of the great museum in London were made public. In December, health restrictions force all British institutions to close their doors and the British Museum is no exception. In May, and while the museum reopens, the doors of the Greek and Assyrian art galleries remain closed. The reason ? A routine investigation to verify the proper maintenance of these rooms. “
Galleries 13 to 18 on the ground floor were temporarily removed from the public access route when the museum reopened in May 2021, a structural study was then undertaken in gallery 17. During this one , damage to the ceiling was noted and further investigations were undertaken
», Explains the communication service of the British Museum.
This very administrative version of history covers an inglorious reality for one of the most renowned institutions in the world: for several years, some rooms of the museum have experienced water leaks due to the very degraded state of the roof and canopies.
Among the pieces concerned, gallery 17 dedicated to Greek art where the treasures of the Parthenon are exhibited.
For Greece, which has been asking for the return of the frieze for decades, it is the last straw that makes the oenochoe overflow. Already in 2018, the Greek Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni pointed out the inability of the British Museum to preserve the treasures of the Parthenon in satisfactory conditions. That same year, Greek television relayed images of water streaming through the gallery where the frieze and the sculptures are kept. All the less understandable that London opposes an end of inadmissibility, arguing that these precious remains are better preserved in the British Museum than they would have been in Athens.
At the end of July 2021, and as Greek art galleries were due to reopen their doors to the public, water infiltration threatening the collections of seven of them resulted in their opening being postponed. A situation that the institution recognizes. "
The water infiltration in this area that occurred in July was due to a damaged skylight which is being repaired
," says the British Museum.
Essential work in galleries 17 and 18 is underway and is part of a building maintenance and conservation program that will allow future work to be carried out in the museum area.
"
More recently, in October, an ancient Assyrian frieze in gallery number 7 had to be covered with plastic. “
Other works and investigations are in progress and galleries 17 to 18, which present the monument to the Nereids and the Parthenon sculptures, will reopen soon.
The London museum assures that the Greek and Assyrian art galleries will reopen their doors on December 13. While the museum claims that no work has been damaged so far, it is planning a major rehabilitation program. The latter will concern the reorganization of rooms and collections, the renovation of historic buildings, but also "
to improve the visitor experience and to undertake an ambitious redevelopment of the collection in the years to come.
".
Will these statements satisfy the Greek authorities?
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni has not yet made any new comments on the situation.
Because the fight for Athens is long drawn-out.
In 1986, Melina Mercouri, then Minister of Culture, gave a speech at the Oxford Union, which has since become famous, in which she called for the repatriation of the Parthenon marbles to Athens.
Melina Mercouri spoke then of the friendship between Greece and the United Kingdom "
And it is in this spirit of friendship that we say to you: there was an injustice, which can now be corrected
", she declared in front of an attentive assembly.
Since then, the situation has still not changed, leaving the future of these marbles completely unclear.