The Supreme Court case of Finders Vs. Keepers was pretty clear: ownership is 9/10ths of the *sticks tongue out* nya nya, it's mine now. Take that, Jews!
My question: how is the return process handled? Isn't a lot of this very old? I know Jewish art in the Holocaust wasn't the only example (Greece in particular would like a lot of their stuff back, I know), but at what point can you argue that something that happened generations ago needs to be corrected? What is the statute of limitations on limited edition statues?
Honestly, as long as art is displayed publicly somewhere, I don't give a damn. If it's being squirreled away by some rich fuck or is just being kept in a warehouse somewhere, maybe then we can talk about returning it.
I don't know what the process is. I threw it out there hoping someone would know. Yeah, I'm with you with rich vanity collectors.
Wanna hear a scary stat? Years ago I was doing reaserch for a paper and rumamging through some periodicals. I came across an art history one where the author wrote "40% of the world's and 60% of Europe's art reside within Italy's borders."
I also read recently Italy is responsible for producing 45% of the world's luxury (high end) products.
That's A LOT OF ART.
And here's the kicker, Italy was invaded and pillaged numerous times since 476 a.d. Notably, Germanic tribes, France, Spain and Austria-Hungary. I won't get into the endless tribes that passed through it from Moors to Celts.
Imagine how much art was looted and what those numbers would like!
Napoleon was fond of saying (despite his Italian heritage), "les Italiens sont des plombiers." Italians are plubmbers. Yet, he rummaged through its treasures for trophies.
And how the heck do you determine ownership of the Mona Lisa? It passed through some many hands between France and Italy.
If France paid for it, then it should be in their hands as it presently is I reckon. If not, should it not go to country of its origins? Or, like films like Nosferatu, does it become public domain?
The Supreme Court case of Finders Vs. Keepers was pretty clear: ownership is 9/10ths of the *sticks tongue out* nya nya, it's mine now. Take that, Jews!
ReplyDeleteMy question: how is the return process handled? Isn't a lot of this very old? I know Jewish art in the Holocaust wasn't the only example (Greece in particular would like a lot of their stuff back, I know), but at what point can you argue that something that happened generations ago needs to be corrected? What is the statute of limitations on limited edition statues?
Honestly, as long as art is displayed publicly somewhere, I don't give a damn. If it's being squirreled away by some rich fuck or is just being kept in a warehouse somewhere, maybe then we can talk about returning it.
I don't know what the process is. I threw it out there hoping someone would know. Yeah, I'm with you with rich vanity collectors.
ReplyDeleteWanna hear a scary stat? Years ago I was doing reaserch for a paper and rumamging through some periodicals. I came across an art history one where the author wrote "40% of the world's and 60% of Europe's art reside within Italy's borders."
I also read recently Italy is responsible for producing 45% of the world's luxury (high end) products.
That's A LOT OF ART.
And here's the kicker, Italy was invaded and pillaged numerous times since 476 a.d. Notably, Germanic tribes, France, Spain and Austria-Hungary. I won't get into the endless tribes that passed through it from Moors to Celts.
Imagine how much art was looted and what those numbers would like!
Napoleon was fond of saying (despite his Italian heritage), "les Italiens sont des plombiers." Italians are plubmbers. Yet, he rummaged through its treasures for trophies.
And how the heck do you determine ownership of the Mona Lisa? It passed through some many hands between France and Italy.
If France paid for it, then it should be in their hands as it presently is I reckon. If not, should it not go to country of its origins? Or, like films like Nosferatu, does it become public domain?
http://www.kleio.org/en/history/monalisa/ml_fakten.html