Tuesday,
November 21, 2006
Getty Returning 26 Looted Art Pieces,
Keeping 20 Pieces
The
ANNOTICO Report
The
Getty's conflict with
Italian cultural officials have become so frustrated with what they call the
Getty's "commercial" approach to negotiations that they were
considering a cultural embargo, something that was
now likely to proceed.
Included
in the 20 Not being returned are the two Getty's
marquee pieces: "The Goddess Aphrodite", and a bronze "Statue
of a Victorious Youth".
Continuing
revelations in the trial in
The
Getty is relying on rather strained reasoning that because the "Victorious
Youth" was found in International waters (more than 3 miles from the
coast), that they can claim ownership.
Also,
It is important to keep in mind that The Founding of the City of Rome was a
few years before the first Greek colony was established in Sicily in the
8th Century, and that the greatest "flowering" of Greek Culture
took place in Magna Graecia, (Greater Greece) which was Southern
Italy and Sicily, during a 500 YEAR period, prior
to being conquered by the Romans in 278 BC in defeating Pyrrhus, who
thought himself another Alexander.
By
Ralph Frammolino and Jason Felch
Times
Staff Writers
November 21, 2006
J. Paul Getty Museum officials announced today that they were returning to
In a letter dated Nov. 20, museum director Michael Brand told Italian Cultural
Minister Francesco Rutelli that he was "deeply
saddened" the two sides couldn't come to a complete agreement.
He noted that the museum was willing to give back some of its most important
pieces and had even offered to transfer full title to Italy of its signature
figure of the goddess Aphrodite -- as long as further research into its origins
could be jointly investigated.
The letter cites the source of the deadlock as the museum's refusal to return a
prized bronze statue of a young Greek athlete, which along with the Aphrodite
are considered the Getty's marquee pieces.
"W e! regret that this
object stands in the way of an accord, but we are very comfortable with our
decision to retain it," Brand wrote, adding that the Italian courts had
held the statue was found in international waters.
The Aphrodite and bronze are at the top of a list of 46 objects that Italian
cultural officials have been demanding back based on evidence presented in the
ongoing criminal trial of former Getty antiquities curator Marion True.
Italian cultural officials couldn't be reached today, but one Italian source
familiar with the negotiations said a top cultural official told Getty
representatives last week it was "all or nothing."
The source said Italian officials agreed that the talks had collapsed and
blamed the Getty for having been "stubborn" and "thin
skinned."
The Getty's conflict with
The Times reported last week that Italian cultural officials have become so
frustrated with what they call the Getty's "commercial" approach to
negotiations that they were considering a cultural embargo, something the
Italian source said was now likely to proceed.
ralph.frammolino@latimes.com
jason.felch@latimes.com
The
Getty Press Release
The
ANNOTICO Reports
Can
be Viewed, and are Archived at:
Italia
Italia Mia: http://www.ItaliaMia.com
Annotico
Email: annotico@earthlink.net