Italy Might Be Seizing a Very Posh Bronze From US Museum

A European court on Thursday upheld Italy's right to seize a prized Greek statue from the J. Paul Getty Museum in California, reports the AP, rejecting the museum's appeal. The European Court of Human Rights determined that Italy's years-long efforts to recover the "Victorious Youth" statue from the Malibu-based Getty were proportionate. The Getty had appealed a 2018 Italian high court ruling that confirmed a confiscation order, claiming that its rights to the statue had been violated by Italy's campaign to get it back. "Victorious Youth," a life-sized bronze dating from 300BC to 100BC, is one of the highlights of the Getty collection. Though the artist is unknown, some scholars believe it was made by Lysippos, Alexander the Great's personal sculptor.

The Getty has long defended its right to the statue, arguing that the statue is of Greek origin, was found in international waters, and was never part of Italy's cultural heritage. The bronze, which was pulled from the sea in 1964 by Italian fishermen, was purchased by the Getty in 1977 for $4 million. Both sides now have three months to ask that the case be heard by the ECHR's Grand Chamber for a final ruling. "The court further held that owing, in particular, to the Getty Trust's negligence or bad faith in purchasing the statue despite being aware of the claims of the Italian state and their efforts to recover it, the confiscation order had been proportionate to the aim of ensuring the return of an object that was part of Italy's cultural heritage," said the summary of the ruling.

Standing about 5 feet tall, the statue of the young athlete raising his right hand to an olive wreath crown around his head is one of the few life-sized Greek bronzes to have survived. The bronze is believed to have sunk with the ship that was carrying it to Italy after the Romans conquered Greece. After being found in the nets of Italian fishermen trawling in international waters in 1964, it allegedly was buried in an Italian cabbage patch and hidden in a priest's bathtub before it was taken out of Italy. (More J. Paul Getty Museum stories.)