[ePub] Picturing Reform in Victorian Britain (Cambridge Studies in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture) by Janice Carlisle at Arts-Photography

Review

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Raising the Question of the Ownership of AntiquitiesBy Ray"Loot" is top-notch work written by a highly acclaimed writer for the New York Times and The Washington Post; a volume which delves into the longstanding and now increasing debate on the return of antiquities from museums to their countries of origin. Waxman; who earned a Masters degree from Oxford University in Middle Eastern Studies and who subsequently worked in the middle east for a decade; caught onto this cause and explicates it as only a person of her training can; making the concepts clear to the layman; describing arguments for and against in no-nonsense writing; and providing background information that is as interesting as it is useful.Waxmans work is somewhat of a polemic. (If the title doesnt make clear to you her position; then nothing else in the following 400 pages will.) And yet the work is much more nuanced than one might at first expect. Waxman maintains a clear position; but she wont hesitate to provide counter arguments for specific cases that she feels are difficult to answer. In fact; she at several places provides the arguments against her own inclinations and openly states that these counter arguments are difficult to answer. But make no mistake about it; Waxman feels that; on the whole; the worlds greatest museum holdings should; as a rule; be returned to the countries of origin; particularly in cases where the acquisition is of dubious merit; where clear "theft" was the original act to move the antiquity out of its place of origin; and where the originating country can provide a safe and secure resting place for the object.Waxmans is a case difficult to refute. There are counter arguments; and many have merit. Specific cases (and these are; after all; ALL specific cases; arent they?) can get tangled in detail; and often these cases work through the legal systems of two countries for many decades with little headway. And yet; when one reads how these pieces were moved from their original location to the famous museums of the world; the argument for return continues to stare us in the face.The writing in "Loot" is exceptionally well done. The story itself is fascinating. While we listen to the argument; we are also introduced to all kinds of related subjects: archaeological digs in Egypt; and who started the field of archaeology in Egypt; the history of the Louvre museum; the Met; and the British Museum; and more. Its a book worth reading whether you agree with Waxman; or not. The amount of research that went into the book is impressive; and much of it is research that the layman would never normally have the opportunity to explore and consider.I rate this text five stars for all these reasons; and even if you disagree with Waxman; you might find it difficult not to do so; either.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Balanced; thorough and very entertainingBy N. HamermanMost balanced and informative account of a very popular subject that I have read1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. It is interesting and easy to readBy Charlotte JohnsonThis book becomes even more relevant today as antiquities are being destroyed in the Middle East. It is interesting and easy to read.