“One of the greatest artworks of all time is scattered in fragments across Europe. But there is now a way to view the surviving Parthenon sculptures together for the first time – a virtual reconstruction.
They’re still magnificent nearly 2,500 years after being carved, but the sculptures of the Parthenon are a bit like sad ghosts – pale, battered, half-lost and spread far and wide.
The fragments are strewn across 10 museums in eight countries. The Greeks are keen to reunite these in a purpose-built museum within sight of the ruined temple the frieze once adorned.
But the British Museum, the guardian of the Elgin Marbles – which were cut from the Parthenon 200 years ago – is reluctant to let its prized possession go. Its argument goes that half the Parthenon sculptures are lost forever, and the rest are so scattered and damaged that it is no longer possible to recreate them in any real sense. A better solution is a computer reconstruction, which will give a more complete sense of how the whole might once have looked.
The University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies is at work on just such as project. It has produced 152 high-resolution models of the sculptures, and produced images which show each in its original position.”
Here is one relevant article, here is another. Here is a more general piece, from 2Blowhards.com, on the “digitification” of culture.
My view: No, I don’t expect this to make the Greeks happy. But in reality this endeavor is more important than whether the Greeks ever get the Elgin marbles back. Many arguments for restitution in fact imply that the artwork itself, and its preservation, should be the priority. Other arguments for restitution toss art to the side in favor of naked political calculations. These arguments are rarely voiced in public, which suggests their unpalatibility. Still, when it comes to the marbles case, this is probably what is going on. By the way, it remains to be seen whether the Greek Ministry of Culture will cooperate with the digital endeavor. The Greeks are asking that the marbles be “lent” to them. The British, who understand the concept of a threat point in a game, are refusing.
I remain on the road, which limits my writing, reading, and thinking. I remain struck by how many used book and antique shops can survive in high-rent districts in Paris.
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