Book Review: The Parthenon Marbles Dispute

Review by Gretchen Allen and Georgina Tall

The Parthenon Marbles Dispute, by Alexander Herman. Bloomsbury Publishing (2023). Paperback / 224 pages / £13.99

In The Parthenon Marbles Dispute, Alexander Herman examines the entire contentious history of the Parthenon marbles from their creation up to the famous restitution debate of the present day. The book follows the marbles through iconoclastic Christian vandalism, Venetian bombardment, and Ottoman neglect. He lays out the wide map of global political forces that combined to form a unique historical moment where the declining Ottoman powers would permit Lord Elgin’s team of artists and workmen to not only access the marbles but remove them entirely. 

Herman has written a clear, succinct, and objective presentation of the different elements of the argument surrounding the notable Parthenon marbles dispute. Each chapter has been written on the basis of no assumed knowledge, making this book suitable for all readers regardless of prior knowledge of the debate, historical era, or legal setting. The book covers the legal and factual basis of the documents providing “permission” for the removal of the marbles, the impact of Ottoman occupation (and applying the Hague’s definition of occupation to pre-definition events), and potential solutions to the dispute.

Following the export of the marbles to England, Herman turns his attention to the laws in both Ottoman-occupied Athens and in England that form the UK’s legal claim to the marbles. He moves into a wider ethical discussion, beginning with the contemporaneous 19th-century views condemning spoliation and restitution and how they’ve since evolved. The final chapters concern the opposing perspectives of the Greek people and the British Museum, concluding with Herman suggesting potential mitigating steps towards compromise.

The Parthenon Marbles Dispute is clearly and persuasively written and provides a scrupulously even-handed look at one of the touchiest subjects in modern restitution discourse. Heritage professionals will be familiar with the debate—anyone with an academic interest in repatriation or museum decolonisation may have even learnt about it in school. The topic’s emotional power is unmistakeable, and it is likely that readers will bring with them their prior (potentially passionate) opinions as to where the marbles belong. 

In a time when we are seeing many emotionally charged debates around the ownership and correct display location for items such as the Parthenon marbles, it can be very easy to hear emotive arguments that do not necessarily connect into frameworks society has built for the restitution or return of antiquities. Herman highlights how a possible case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) under its various different conventions—such as the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970 UNESCO Convention), to which the UK and Greece are both parties—would not be effective at the moment due to various factors. Similarly, the British Museum, the current home of the marbles, is bound by rigid laws and statutes which mean that, even if the sentiment were there, it would not be a straightforward process of simply handing them back. This is normally an incredibly tricky, and at times dry, topic to read, but Herman has managed to set it all out in a way that is not only easy to understand and follow but which also allows readers to make their own judgements.

Herman deliberately avoids the classic emotional touchstones in the name of conflict resolution. By removing the emotional elements from the dispute, Herman is able to objectively analyse the facts at the time of removal and the attitudes at the time in Ottoman-occupied Greece, the UK, and wider European society; he accomplishes this by referencing contemporary statements and poetry from Lord Byron, comments from the House of Commons in June 1816 that called the removal “unjustified”, and analysing against modern ethical instruments such as the ICOM Code of Ethics. One of his recommendations is to establish an unbiased recounting of the facts: this comprises much of the book. The historical and legal background to both the removal and the attitudes surrounding it, both then and now, are compellingly organised and easy to follow. Herman does an admirable job outlining the controversy with empathy and nuance, and the text as a whole provides a detailed explanation of both sides of the dispute. 

Several of the points Herman highlights rarely surface in colloquial discussion on the marbles, and they provide valuable additional context. For example, chapter seven focuses on the attitudes towards art objects as spoils of war espoused by Elgin’s contemporaries. While it is tempting to consider reparative restitution a modern notion born of today’s climate of decolonisation and reconciliation, in Elgin’s day no less a personage than the Duke of Wellington spoke out decisively in favour of returning artworks and artefacts taken as spoils of war by Napoleon. Herman places these remarks in the context, not only of Wellington’s own opposition to Napoleon but also in the wider attitudes of the time, many of which became practical, if not outright legal, customs of warfare. Because of its commitment to objectivity, The Parthenon Marbles Dispute can be a frustrating read for anyone who already has strong opinions on the topic. This is more than likely by design, as “develops strong opinions on a topic” does not always correlate with “has done extensive, unbiased research on the topic”, and an open-minded reader will undoubtedly benefit from Herman’s research and commentary. The goal of the book is conflict resolution, not choosing sides.

However, Herman’s careful neutrality can result in analytical gaps when sidestepping emotional topics. For example, his conversation with the late Dr Ian Jenkins of the British Museum touches on the Enlightenment ideal of the politics-independent “universal museum” in contrast to the government-funded, site-specific “Acropolis museum”. While Herman is not uncritical of Jenkins’ retentionist attitudes, he does not interrogate the merit of the universal museum as a concept, even though, in this instance, it could only ever exist as a product of imperialism. Herman only briefly mentions other hotly contested restitution cases from the same museum (e.g., the Benin Bronzes and the Rosetta Stone), and does not situate the marbles within the wider pattern of the British Museum’s post-imperial retentionism. While the focus is understandably on the marbles, the omission of this context is glaring given the level of care taken in the rest of the book. 

Over two hundred years on from their initial removal, there is still no end in sight to the Parthenon marbles restitution debate. For anyone interested in the past and future of these incredible artefacts, The Parthenon Marbles Dispute is well worth reading. It provides in-depth analysis of the historical, legal, and ethical grounds for both sides of the dispute, as well as a helpful framework for resolution; a resolution to be reached—hopefully—before another century has passed.

Due to the succinctness of the book, it is also very easy to read amidst our busy lives, as each chapter can be read as part of a commute journey or even as a stand-alone piece if you want to read about a specific element of the debate.

Author Bios

Gretchen Allen is a book and paper conservator currently serving as senior conservator at the National Archives of Ireland. She is a member of the Irish National Committee for the Blue Shield, and her academic work focuses on the conservator’s role in mitigating harm done by the criminal elements of the art market.

Georgina Tall is a paralegal in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) Commercial legal team of a London auction house. She has a degree in archaeology and ancient civilisations (BA Hons) from Durham University and has completed her GDL and LPC LLM as part of her route to qualifying as a solicitor.

You can read this review along with all the other fantastic articles in the October-November 2024 "News in Conservation" Issue 104, HERE.