Tuesday,
March 27, 2007
Italy Scores Point in Getty Row re
"Aphrodite" - Next "The Victorious Youth"
The
ANNOTICO Report
An
Independent Expert on a 5 Member Panel has said tests confirm the Italian view
that it comes from the ancient site of Morgantina in
central
Other
members of the panel are studying pollen and earth taken from the statue when
it was cleaned in 1988.
Now
comes the battle over a third-century BC bronze
'Victorious Youth' attributed to the famous Greek sculptor Lysippos.
The athlete,
which the Californian museum acquired in 1977, was found in the Adriatic, off
the north-eastern
The Getty claims
that it was found in international waters and so does not belong to Italy.Italy does not dispute that the bronze was outside
territorial waters when it was discovered, but stresses that it was taken out
of the country illegally.
My old friend Ron Olson, the Leading partner at Munger- Tolles (Munger is Warren Buffet partner) who represents the
From
ANSA
March
26, 2007
(ANSA) -
The American
museum is resisting demands to give the statue back because of doubts about
whether the artwork is actually from
But a member of
the panel of five independent experts set up to ascertain its provenance has
said tests confirm the
Italian view that it comes from the ancient site of Morgantina
in central Sicily.
The Getty has
said the statue, one of the jewels in the Malibu Getty Villa's lauded Greek and
Roman collection, could have been made elsewhere, possibly at an ancient Greek
colony in
Some studies had
suggested it is a composite, put together from Sicilian limestone and Greek
marble to form an irresistible object - the oldest large 'cult' statue of the
goddess.
The Getty has
said it will hand over the statue, which it bought from a
the panel shows it was looted from Morgantina.
Other members of
the panel are studying pollen and earth taken from the statue when it was
cleaned in 1988.Italian Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli
has threatened to break off relations with the Getty unless the museum returns
several dozen objects, including the
Aphrodite.
In January, in
the wake of a long expose' in the Los Angeles Times, Rutelli
said the Getty's claim to the Aphrodite was "crumbling".
The minister argued that the LA Times "has corroborated what the Carabinieri (art police) have always said, that it left
Citing evidence
turned up by the reporters, Rutelli said the Getty's
claim to the piece rested on the "risible" claim that it once
belonged to a tobacconist in a town on
"It's such a
clear falsification (that) it's surprising a great institution like the Getty
is still dragging its heels," Rutelli said.
Even if agreement
is eventually reached on the Aphrodite, there is an even bigger sticking point
in the negotiations: a third-century BC bronze 'Victorious Youth' attributed to
the famous Greek sculptor Lysippos.
The athlete,
which the Californian museum acquired in 1977, was found in the Adriatic, off
the north-eastern
The Getty claims
that it was found in international waters and so does not belong to Italy.Italy does not dispute that the bronze was outside
territorial waters when it was discovered, but stresses that it was taken out
of the country illegally.
Talks between
The deal with the
Getty was to have been the third with major
The
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