I am saddened that talks between the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Italian government over Italy's claim to objects in the museum's antiquities collection have broken down. I want to make it clear that the Getty remains open to resuming those discussions.
When I became director at the museum last December, I made it a priority to resolve claims not only of Italy but of the Greek government. I visited Rome to begin negotiations within my first month of full-time work, and Athens a little while later. We have made great progress in our negotiations with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture: We have returned two works of art and are in the final stages of resolving the status of the two remaining objects.
The Getty entered its discussions with Italy in the same spirit. The Italians challenged Getty ownership of 52 objects. I was heartened when Italy's minister of culture, Francesco Rutelli, confirmed my feeling that an accord could be reached but that it would require compromise on both sides. In June, an agreement in principle was reached, and on Oct. 5, both parties signed a "term sheet" that set out what had been agreed on and established a process for working toward resolution of the remaining issues.
It was agreed, for example, that the Getty would return 26 objects and that Italy would drop claims on six objects as well as provide significant loans to the Getty. We asked Italy to consider a creative solution for the "Cult Statue of a Goddess," -- the so-called Aphrodite -- involving immediate joint ownership during a period of collaborative research, and then, if necessary, a willingness to submit to neutral, binding arbitration to resolve its ultimate fate. With respect to the "Statue of a Victorious Youth" -- the so-called Getty Bronze -- a Greek statue of an athlete found in international waters off the coast of Italy in 1964, the Getty agreed to provide a formal, written position regarding our claim to ownership.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Getty team returned to L.A. believing this deal (which we were assured was fully authorized) had finally provided a fair path to resolving past differences and a framework for future collaboration between the Getty and Italy.
