ARTH 395 Special Topics in Art History

Who Owns Art? 

As art objects - especially those from antiquity - have become increasingly valuable, as both commodities and as national treasures, questions as to who owns art and who is best to care for these objects are essential to museum curators, academics, and politicians. There are several debates over who owns art of ancient civilizations like Greece and India. Do treasures like the Parthenon sculptures at the British Museum belong to Greece and should they be returned? Or should they remain in the museum where more people have access to them? This seminar will introduce students to laws enacted by UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) to protect world, cultural, and national heritage, as well as to the examination of museum collecting policies in America. Specific cultural patrimony cases will also be examined and discussed. This seminar is for students who are interested in learning more about cultural patrimony, art law, and museums.