OSHER 114 - From Grand Tour to Grand Scandal: Antiquities of the Modern World

This course traces the modern phenomenon of collecting antiquities, particularly from Greco- Roman, Egyptian, and Near Eastern cultures, and issues surrounding their collection. Young students and seasoned travelers going on a Grand Tour in the 1700s came back with objects that brought a new level of appreciation for Greek and Roman art. These travels would soon lead to the discipline of archaeology, with strict guidelines on digging. In the 19th and 20th centuries, collectors and museums started to grapple with the legal and moral issues of buying a piece of the ancient past. In the 21st century, that material culture is now looted and targeted for destruction by extremist groups. Among the topics the course will bring up include Lord Elgin and the Parthenon Marbles, the Euphronius Krater, Medici/Hecht looting, ISIS and culture terrorism.