Friday, November 14, 2014

Windblown




I found a convenient list here of the forty looted antiquities returned (under heavy legal and political pressure) to Italy in 2007 by the Getty Museum. Most prominent was the life-sized Cult Statue of a Goddess pictured from three angles above, a product of Greek culture in Sicily about 400 BC (prized in particular for the windblown drapery also associated with the Parthenon sculptures from the same period).  
Five first-century BC Roman fresco fragments (71.AG.111). (Godart and De Caro 2008: 218 no. 62).
Group of Attic Red-Figured calyx krater fragments (Berlin Painter, Kleophrades Painter) (77.AE.5). Acquired in fifty-eight fragments, mostly from Robin Symes, some from Dietrich von Bothmer, a few from Galerie Nefer (proprietor Frieda Tchacos), and one from Frederick Schultz (Watson and Todeschini 2007: 226-227; Godart and De Caro 2008: 94 no. 18).
Apulian Red-Figured volute krater (77.AE.13). Acquired as gift of Gordon McClendon (Gill and Chippindale 2007: 229; Godart and De Caro 2008: 196 no. 54).
Apulian Red-Figured volute krater (77.AE.14). Acquired as gift of Gordon McClendon (Gill and Chippindale 2007: 229; Godart and De Caro 2008: 198 no. 55).
Attic Red-Figured amphora with lid (79.AE.139). Acquired from Antike Kunst Palladion (proprietor Gianfranco Becchina); pictured on Medici Polaroid (Watson and Todeschini 2007: 371; Godart and De Caro 2008: 98 no. 20).
Attic Red-Figured bell krater (81.AE.149). (Godart and De Caro 2008: 124 no. 30).
Three Fragments of Protocorinthian olpe (81.AE.197). Acquired as gift from Galerie Nefer (Godart and De Caro 2008: 54 no. 2).
Attic Red-Figured phiale fragments, attributed to Douris (81.AE.213). Acquired in a series of sixty-three fragments between 1981 and 1990, with an average purchase price per fragment of $3,000, mainly from Galerie Nefer, but with one fragment from Robin Symes and two from Fritz Bürki (Watson and Todeschini 2007: 226-27; Godart and De Caro 2008: 110 no. 24).
Attic Red-Figured calyx krater (82.AE.83). (Godart and De Caro 2008: 126 no. 31).
Etruscan Red-Figured ceramic duck askos (83.AE.203). Acquired as gift from Vasek Polak; said to be from the S. Schweitzer collection, ca. 1940; pictured on Medici Polaroid (Watson and Todeschini 2007: 374; Godart and De Caro 2008: 142 no. 36).
Attic Janiform kantharos (83.AE.218). Purchased from the Royal Athena Galleries (Watson and Todeschini 2007: 375; Godart and De Caro 2008: 114 no. 26).
Attic Red-Figured kylix (83.AE.287). Attributed to Epiktetos (painter); acquired as gift from Michael Milken, valued at $60,000; said to come from the Rycroft collection; pictured on Medici Polaroid (Watson and Todeschini 2007: 372; Godart and De Caro 2008: 82 no. 12).
Attic Red-Figured neck amphora (84.AE.63). Attributed to Euthymides (painter); said to be from collection of E. Pfuhl (ca. 1920s), picture of piece in fragments on Medici negative (Watson and Todeschini 2007: 88-89; Godart and De Caro 2008: 80 no. 11).
Attic Red-Figured kylix (84.AE.569). Signed by Douris (painter) and attributed to Python (potter); bought from Robin Symes; pictured on Medici Polaroid, and also Medici photographic negative of object on display in Getty (Godart and De Caro 2008: 104 no. 22).
Apulian Red-Figured loutrophorus (84.AE.996). Attributed to the Metope group (Godart and De Caro 2008: 190 no. 52).
Fourth-century BC sculptural group of two griffins attacking a fallen doe (85.AA.106). Acquired from Maurice Tempelsman, valued at $5.5 million; acquired by Tempelsman from Robin Symes; pictured on Medici Polaroid (True 2002: 107; Watson and Todeschini 2007: 124-25, 389; Godart and De Caro 2008: 200 no. 56).
Fourth-century BC marble lekanis (85.AA.107). Acquired from Maurice Tempelsman, valued at $2.2 million; pictured on Medici Polaroid (True 2002: 106; Watson and Todeschini 2007: 124-25; Godart and De Caro 2008: 204 no. 57).
Statue of Apollo (85.AA.108). Acquired from Maurice Tempelsman, valued at $2.5 million; pictured on Medici Polaroid (True 2002: 162; Watson and Todeschini 2007: 124-25; Godart and De Caro 2008: 230 no. 66).
Marble bust of a man (85.AA.265). Acquired from Robin Symes; pictured on Medici negative and Polaroid (Watson and Todeschini 2007: 371; Godart and De Caro 2008: 216 no. 61).
Apulian Red-Figured volute krater (85.AE.102). (Godart and De Caro 2008: 164 no. 43).
Attic Red-Figured mask kantharos (85.AE.263). Attributed to the Foundry Painter and Euphronios (potter); bought for $200,000 from Fritz Bürki in 1985; with Robin Symes 1982-1984; pictured on Medici Polaroid (True 2002: 76; Watson and Todeschini 2007: 90-92; Godart and De Caro 2008: 106 no. 23).
Attic Red-Figured kalpis (85.AE.316). Attributed to Kleophrades (painter); bought from Robin Symes; pictured on Medici Polaroid, and Medici photographic negative of object on display in Getty (Watson and Todeschini 2007: 371; Godart and De Caro 2008: 96 no. 19).
Apulian pelike (86.AE.611). Close to Gravina Painter; bought from Fritz Bürki for $42,000 (Felch and Frammolino 2005; Godart and De Caro 2008: 172 no. 46).
Attic Black-Figured zone cup (87.AE.22). Attributed to the manner of the Lysippides Painter; bought from Fritz Bürki via Atlantis Antiquities (True 2002: 62; Watson and Todeschini 2007: 89; Godart and De Caro 2008: 68 no. 7).
Apulian Red-Figured pelike (87.AE.23). Attributed to the Darius Painter; bought from Fritz Burki via Atlantis Antiquities for $60,000; pictured on Medici negative and Polaroid (Watson and Todeschini 2007: 89-90; Godart and De Caro 2008: 180 no. 49).
Cult Statue of a Goddess (88.AA.76). Perhaps Aphrodite; bought from Robin Symes for $18 million; said to have been bought by Symes for $400,000 from Swiss citizen Renzo Canavesi (Frammolino and Felch 2007; True 2002: 104).
Attic Red-Figured calyx krater (88.AE.66). Attributed to the Aegisthus painter (Godart and De Caro 2008: 112 no. 25).
Bronze fifth-century BC askos in the shape of a siren (92.AC.5). (Godart and De Caro 2008: 154 no. 40).
Attic Red-Figured calyx krater (92.AE.6 and 96.AE.335). Signed by Syriskos (painter); bought from Fleischman collection, valued at $800,000; acquired by Fleischmans from Robin Symes in 1988; pictured on Medici Polaroid (True 2002: 78; Watson and Todeschini 2007: 117; Godart and De Caro 2008: 116 no. 27).
Second-century BC statuette of Tyche (96.AA.49). Purchased from Fleischman Collection for $2 million; acquired by Fleischmans from Robin Symes; pictured on Medici Polaroid (True and Kozloff 1994: 237 no. 120; Watson and Todeschini 2007: 375; Godart and De Caro 2008: 208 no. 58).
First-century AD statuette of Dionysos (96.AA.211). Acquired as part of the Fleischman Collection; pictured on Medici Polaroid (True and Kozloff 1994: 339 no. 179; Watson and Todeschini 2007: 378; Godart and De Caro 2008: 228 no. 65).
Etruscan bronze mirror with relief-decorated cover (96.AC.132). Acquired as part of Fleischman Collection; pictured on Medici Polaroid (True and Kozloff 1994: 178 no. 83; Watson and Todeschini 2007: 372; Godart and De Caro 2008: 146 no. 37).
Etruscan antefix in the form of a maenad and Silenos dancing (96.AD.33). Acquired as part of Fleischman Collection; acquired by Fleischmans from Robin Symes; pictured on Medici Polaroid (True and Kozloff 1994: 195 no. 92; Watson and Todeschini 2007: 373; Godart and De Caro 2008: 136 no. 34).
Apulian Red-Figured bell krater (96.AE.29). Attributed to the Choregos painter; acquired as part of Fleischman Collection, valued at $185,000; acquired by Fleischmans from Fritz Bürki; pictured on Medici Polaroid (True and Kozloff 1994: 125 no. 56; Watson and Todeschini 2007: 373, 378; Godart and De Caro 2008: 170 no. 45).
Attic Black-Figured amphora (96.AE.92). Painter of Berlin 1686; acquired as part of Fleischman Collection, valued at $275,000; previously with Atlantis Antiquities in 1988; pictured on Medici Polaroid (True and Kozloff 1994: 81 no. 34; Watson and Todeschini 2007: 374, 376; Godart and De Caro 2008: 60 no. 4).
Attic Black-Figured amphora (96.AE.93). Attributed to the Three-line group; acquired as part of Fleischman Collection; acquired by Fleischmans from Fritz Bürki in 1989 (True and Kozloff 1994: 83 no. 35; Watson and Todeschini 2007: 374, 376; Godart and De Caro 2008: 62 no. 5).
Attic Red-Figured cup (96.AE.97). Attributed to Nikosthenes (painter) and Pamphaios (potter); acquired as part of Fleischman Collection; acquired by Fleischmans from Robin Symes in 1988; pictured on Medici Polaroid (True and Kozloff 1994: 94 no. 39; Watson and Todeschini 2007: 374, 377; Godart and De Caro 2008: 84, no 13).
Paestan squat lekythos (96.AE.119). Attributed to Asteas; acquired as part of Fleischman Collection (True and Kozloff 1994: 146 no. 65; Godart and De Caro 2008: 178 no. 48).
Etruscan Pontic amphora (96.AE.139). Acquired as part of Fleischman Collection, valued at $400,000; bought by Fleischmans from Fritz Bürki in 1988 (True and Kozloff 1994: 190 no. 90; Watson and Todeschini 2007: 374; Godart and De Caro 2008: 130 no. 32).
Fragment of a first-century BC Roman fresco: lunette with mask of Hercules (96.AG.171). Acquired as part of Fleischman Collection, valued at $95,000 (True and Kozloff 1994: 251 no. 126; Watson and Todeschini 2007: 375; Godart and De Caro 2008: 210 no. 59.


Another crowd-pleaser among the repatriated antiquities of 2007 was the one above, labeled by the Getty as Fourth-century BC Sculptural Group of Two Griffins Attacking a Fallen Doe. According to the literature it was probably used as a table-support in ancient times. Traces of pigments are still visible on the wings and spiny necks of the monsters.  

The Getty has, on the other hand, so far resisted ongoing lawsuits by the Italian government to reclaim the so-called Victorious Youth below (also known as the Fano Bronze). Nobody disputes the fact that the statue was discovered accidentally by fishermen in the Adriatic and smuggled out of Italy illegally in the 1960s. After that, it passed through a great many different hands before reaching the Getty in 1977. Press reports assert that it was first offered to J. Paul Getty himself in 1976 and that he declined to buy it because it was already an object of "police attention."  That was the same year Getty died. The museum then pushed ahead and bought the disputed object. Up to the present, lawyers in California have succeeded in keeping the waters of ownership murky enough for the museum not only to retain the bronze but to make frequent use of it as a sort of corporate logo.