‘The Elgin Marbles are fakes!’ blasts art historian

Amal Clooney will be relieved that she is no longer representing the Greek government in its bid to win back the elgin marbles from the British museum, since evidence now indicates they may not be Greek after all — but Roman.

eminent art historian nigel Konstam has published a booklet arguing that many of the works ‘spirited away’ by the 7th earl of elgin in the 1800s are in fact Roman reproductions of the Greek originals that had been eroded by acid rain caused by chimney effluent.

His explosive theory is based on the recent discovery of a chimney near the Parthenon used by the great 5th century sculptor Phidias to cast his giant bronzes. Konstam’s speculation has reached the ears of the current earl of elgin, 94, and sent shock waves through the British museum.

‘my case is strong because the evidence to support my view is so simple and compelling and obvious, even to the layman, who can see the differences for himself,’ says Konstam, a sculptor and bronze caster educated at Camberwell School of art and the Royal College of art.

He argues that the Roman statues were carved differently and look much cleaner than the Greek ones, which were etched with fragile iron and bronze tools, causing bruising and microcracks which allowed the smoke to penetrate deeper.

The British museum’s senior curator Ian Jenkins has shown interest in the theory. ‘This is an interesting set of, at least to me, new ideas,’ he wrote in a letter to the sculptor.

‘I have never heard before the connection between Roman replacements of the west pediment sculptures of the Parthenon and smoke. not since the days of Richard Payne Knight, and his falling out with lord elgin, has anybody been so radical as to suggest that the entire west pediment is a Roman replacement.’

lord Bruce, the son and heir to the current earl of elgin, tells me from the family’s 300-year-old home in Fife that he is not convinced.

‘I can’t believe there was that much pollution caused by the chimney,’ he says. ‘His theory is at least not as ridiculous as one currently doing the rounds that the Parthenon was a burial ground for young maidens.’