No not my marbles - they have been pronounced intact by a doctor and the dreaded interview was quite pleasant with him showing me his photo blog and then looking at mine. I was unsure of the exact date on Saturday - but then so was he -we had to check.
This post is about the Elgin marbles bought by Lord Elgin for £39,000 from theTurkish goverment including documents and now safely housed in the British Museum. I used to think they should be returned to the Greeks but having read Richard Dorment's article in the DailyTelegraph 15th April 2013 -" The Elgin Marbles will never be returned to Athens", I have second thoughts. Seeing the state of the marbles one can believe that Turkish soldiers used them for target pratice.
Nevertheless they are fantastic.
Inside the museum -in spite of the visitors there is a calming atmosphere.
Great to see the children absorbing the culture
This was stunning and one felt the headless figures would dance right off the stage. There are Greek, Roman and Egyptian collections but I'm sure you will recognise which are which.
More to come:)
21 comments:
They must be fantastic, In Person...They are fantastic in your pictures....And one can see the pock-marked-ness on the surface of some that you showed us....It's amazing they held up as well as they did!
A Stunning Show, Pat.
As a child I was very confused by the Elgin Marbles.... I will leave it to your imagination as to what I thought they were... but I kept my marbles in a small leather pouch.
Sx
this brings back memories of grammar school and the first time i heard about the elgin marbles. in my little mind, i pictured the marbles i played with and then, our teacher, bless her heart, put some pictures up on the board! xoxox
I would like very much to see them in person!!
I love the shadows on the walls of the museum cast by the ceiling glass panes.
I used to visit the BM regularly whilst the new roof and library were being built and they were absolutely stunning - upstages many of the exhibits for me!
I often pop in to the BM when I'm in London and, whatever else I go to look at, the Easter Island statue, the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles are must-sees. And I admire the geodesic dome every time too - designed by computer, every triangle is uniquely sized to fit in its place (yes, I went to a lecture on the subject!) .
We never doubted that every one of your marbles is intact, Pat.
Good stuff! I, too have enjoyed them, but, hell, they're hard to throw!
Naomi: I loved the atmosphere and the lovely atrium feel of it. (hope that's the right word.)
We even had lunch there.
Scarlet: in my neck of the woods only posh people called them marbles - ours were popalleys:)
Savannah: I have to confess I only realised what they were when I became an helenophile in my middle years.
Judy: the changing light is fascinating and the draperies look real. Sadly one is not allowed to touch except for one object which is a facsimile.
Rog: they create the best possible setting. It would be nice if the Greeks acknowledged it.
Fat chance.
Z; do you visit the Portrait Gallery? In spite of being completely knackered by then it was a real humdinger for me.
Nice montage! Thanks. This is probably as close as I'll get to them.
Ub: nonsense. Your travelling days have hardly begun.
I have only been to the British museum once and I loved it. Made sure I spent as much time as I could at the Egyptian collection.
Thanks for taking us along on your visit !
cheers, parsnip
Do the Greeks target only us and the 'Elgin Marbles', or do they consider the other stuff that was taken from their lands by other nations? I've never been entirely sure. E.g. I think the French snatched the Venus de Milo in a much less civilised manner. I'm going to read that article you quote.
I've never come across the Portrait Gallery, something to visit next time.
Parsnip, the Egyptian section always seems to be the most crowded, people are fascinated by it.
Lovely, Pat - takes me back to college days. Thank you x
I do love the B.M. Pat. It's an education in the history of our culture, i.e. of Western Europe.
I must admit though, that in the past I have used the V.and A.'s exhibits and reserve collections, as a sort of reference library, and that, of the two, I have found the V.and A the most useful.
I've been keeping a tight hold on my marbles incase I lose them. :D
I'm not sure I'd know the difference between the Greek, Roman and Egyptian collections!
I got to the museum late one day, and when I came back the next was sidetracked by the library. What wonderous things they are tho.
Parsnip: I think I spent most time in the Greek. I love the delicacy of the draperies and the human form.
Gadjo: they seem to concentrate on the marbles. Re the article - for some reason I can't copy and paste onto dashboard.
Z: a treat in store for you.
Kate: great to see you. Hope all is going well.
Mike and Ann: I'm ashamed of all the years I worked in London and apart from the National Gallery and theatres I neglected culture.
Joey: they do tend to merge into each other- it doesn't really matter- I find it balm for the spirit.
Mage: I take my hat off - two visits two days running but you were staying in a very convenient hotel.
John: cheeky!
I kept looking for the marbles. Then I realised :-D As you can guess now, I've never heard of the Elgin marbles. Live and learn!
I remember a museum in London where the Egyptian mummies were, and it smelled like salted fish. That's what my sister and I said. We were cheeky young teens.
GG: me too up until recently.
I learn something new on line almost every day - the trick is to remember it:)
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