Art in Brief The Getty v Italy
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Feb 17, 2025 Dive into the captivating legal saga between a major American museum and Italy over a 2,000-year-old statue. Discover the complex history of this artifact and the contentious issues surrounding art repatriation and cultural heritage. The discussion delves into the impact of ongoing legal battles and their broader implications for museums and global art ownership. Join the exploration of how this historic conflict highlights the tensions between cultural preservation and rightful ownership.
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Discovery of the Bronze Statue
- Italian fishermen discovered a rare life-size bronze statue off Italy's Adriatic coast in 1964.
- The statue is one of the oldest surviving bronzes from classical Greece, about 150 cm tall.
Statue's Journey to Getty Museum
- After discovery, the fishermen smuggled the statue out of Italy, and it resurfaced in London by 1969.
- In 1977, Getty Museum curator Bertrand Friedrichsen bought it for $3.9 million, and it remains at Getty.
Italian Legal Claim Basis
- Italian law since 1909 claims objects found in its territorial waters are state property.
- The dispute centers on proving whether the statue was found in Italian waters or elsewhere, affecting ownership claims.