Battle Between Getty and Italy for Athlete of Fano
The bronze piece dates from around the 3rd century B.C. It is currently housed in the Villa Malibu Museum in California
Italy is seeking to recover its Athlete of Fano (also known as Lysippos of Fano – ed.), a bronze statue dating from the 4th and 2nd centuries B.C. that is currently on display at the Villa Getty Museum in Malibu, California.
The work was found by fishermen in 1964 off the coast of Fano, in the central Italian region of Marche, and was not handed over to the authorities as required by Italian law. After various vicissitudes and illegal trades, it was sold in 1977 for $4.4 million dollars to the Getty Foundation, owned by American oilman Jean-Paul Getty.
The Italian state wants the statue back because it was improperly removed, and already in 2018, the Court of Cassation found that the statue was the property of Italy, and the government subsequently demanded that the museum return the work. Getty refused and appealed to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. However, a few days ago, it agreed with Italy, confirming that the claims to the Athlete and 15 other Greek statues are completely legitimate.
A few days ago, the California Museum announced that it would return to Turkey a bronze head dating from the first century B.C. to the second century A.D. that was acquired in 1971, but later stolen. But as for the Athlete of Fano, a work that some scholars attribute to Lysippus and others to his school, Getty rejects Strasbourg’s decision.
“We believe that the Getty’s ownership for more than 50 years of a work of art that was not created by an Italian artist and was not found on Italian soil is fair, ethical, and consistent with American and international laws,” the museum explained in a statement, adding that it intends to defend its rights in the appropriate forums.
According to Getty, the statue is Greek-made and was found in international waters, so there is no evidence that it is the property of Italy. However, the Italian Court of Cassation explains that the work was brought ashore by Italians aboard an Italian-flagged fishing vessel and then illegally exported.
