Art is often referred to as priceless. There are so many ways that people express art and feel about it, and it was not any different for Lord Elgin or rather, Thomas Bruce.
The following text illustrates my view of Lord Elgin’s legend, how it has changed my perspective and view concerning art, and how it relates to the latest events in the news.
Lord Elgin, who was the 7th earl of Elgin, is seen to be a man with a vision. He managed to bring himself from extreme poverty to glory. He may have had a few mistakes, which is human, but I feel that his intentions for art were sincere. In his history, before going to the Ottoman Empire, he is seen to have been highly ranked in terms of military and political issues. This implies that the man learned and intelligent enough to make full proof plans. It is stated that he had goals to promote works of art in England by bringing a masterpiece that would make artists throughout England feel challenged. This would thus challenge them to create even better and more original pieces. His intentions, however, may not have been extremely pure, they may have been tied to some monetary value. I feel that his passion for pursuing the pieces of art in Athens even after contracting fatal diseases was unmatched. As he puts it, he contracted an illness that deformed his face making his nose fall off. Many may have retreated to their homelands for treatment or even retirement.
Thomas Bruce, however, proceeded with his very vital mission until it was achieved. Multiple sources of history state that Lord Elgin robbed Athens of the marbles. I do not seem to agree with this since it was not a hit and run or forceful form of a heist. He, for starters, carried his employed artists who only made copies of the art and took those that the Athens felt less essential and old. Before accusing Lord Elgin of thievery, we should consider the fact that the pieces in the Athens temples were at risk of destruction by wars or conflicts caused by Turkish differences in Athens. Other sources state that the Sultan never allowed removal of the pieces of art and ancient artefacts. What I think is that if it were illegal, then the multiple ships that were very big and slow would have been stopped before reaching England.
The entire history of Lord Elgin is fascinating. It shows that his passion and love for art was real. His patience and craftiness in being able to obtain the art illustrate that perfection is never rushed. Artists create incomplete pieces of art due to their lack of patience and pure creativity. Art is motivated by different sources, and Lord Elgin’s quest to obtain the marbles illustrates precisely that. Lord Elgin’s story also leads me to believe that art should be possessed strongly and protected since legit pieces are priceless. He waited for approximately ten years before selling them. The British Government still holds onto these pieces up-to-date. Losing these pieces means a massive loss of history, tradition and pride. The value of art is beyond just money.
The latest general news lately is those of racism, George Floyd’s murder. People throughout the world are drawing pictures of George Floyd on city walls and significant towns in remembrance of his life. It is because of art that we remember Lord Elgin even after his death. Art, as stated earlier, is priceless and could be used to represent anything literally. In other news, Ed Sheeran’s portrait is sold at 1000 Euros. This shows that art could be a major source of money. The Government bought the pieces of art from Thomas Bruce. He must have received a lot of money.