Today was my first time visiting the National British Museum in London and all I have to say is, wow! The museum houses a comprehensive collection of original Grecian and Egyptian art and artifacts. There is so much to see and the pieces from Greece and Egypt are absolutely massive. The quality of preservation was perfection.
I wandered in a room that looked like a really old library which had books, pottery and artifacts from different centuries, floor to ceiling. There is a special exhibit going on until August 23rd - Garden and Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur, which is a royal collection of art from India.
The great thing about museums is the ability to see amazing historical pieces and be more educated than when you walked in. I started thinking of a couple of things while strolling by sculptures from the Parthenon...
How long did it take all of the men, women and children to create the tombs, tubs, sculptures, and inscriptions? A life time for some.
And the second, who should own all of these pieces? Much of the Grecian and Egyptian art was stolen by the British. Half the Parthenon is in the middle of London! While its very cool to see, and free to the public, should some of the pieces be returned to the original creators? Or has enough time passed by that the stolen items become owned by the thief? The other way to think about it could be the discovery and deciphering of the Rosetta Stone opened what could have been a lost art. Does stealing art and then saving it justify ownership?
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