Scrutiny: The Italian Job

Museums everywhere are facing increasing requests from foreign governments for the return of cultural patrimony. How do museums balance the responsibility of caring for a collection with their legal and ethical obligations? Using a group of objects recently repatriated to Italy, Provenance Researcher Annie Shanley and Curator of Greek and Roman Art Ruth Allen, recount one of these complex situations faced by the Carlos. Learn how the museum navigated foreign legal investigations, machinations of antiquities smugglers, and working with the Italian Republic to return stolen art to its rightful owners.
Scrutiny is an ongoing series of public programs that examine critical issues facing museums in the 21st century, including ethical collecting, display, and interpretation.
Learn more about provenance research and repatriation efforts at the Carlos Museum: carlos.emory.edu/provenance-r...