British Museum

The British Museum and BP's sponsorship deal will end after 27 years

The museum has been under pressure for more than a decade to break off its affiliation with the oil and gas corporation

British Museum drops reference to the Rosetta Stone from title of major refurbishment plans

Move may reflect sensitivities around the museum's possession of the ancient Egyptian object

Declassified documents on Parthenon Marbles reveal rift between UK government and British Museum

Foreign Office was dismissive of the museum's attempts to lobby for the contested sculptures in 1983

British Museum returns Oceanic sculpture to Polynesia—for three years

Admired by Henry Moore and Picasso, A'a has just gone on show at Tahiti's main museum

London museums struggling to regain visitors after Covid closures, our survey shows

The Art Newspaper's annual Visitor Figures survey has found the National Gallery has lost more visitors since 2019 than any other art museum worldwide

Vatican returns Parthenon sculptures to Greece in 'historic event'

Restitution shows that a "road of dialogue and peace always exists", according to a representative of the Holy See

Critics line up to condemn Science Museum’s sponsorship deal with Adani Green Energy

Museum is accused of “reprehensible” behaviour in allegedly allowing crisis-hit parent company Adani to greenwash its huge fossil fuel business

Even restituted artefacts—like Benin bronzes—need export licences from UK, says arts minister

Formal requirement for government licences may well prove to be yet another obstacle to a loan agreement for the Parthenon Marbles

British Museum's chairman suggests 'hybrid' deal with Greece over Parthenon Marbles

"I think there is a way forward where the sculptures could be seen both in London and in Athens, and that will be a win-win for Greece and for us,” George Osborne says

British Museum staff to strike as cultural workers across UK take industrial action—including during school holiday

Workers at the Wallace Collection, Historic England, National Museums Scotland and the National Museum of Liverpool will also be striking over pay and labour conditions

Yayoi Kusama and Louis Vuitton: the enduring allure of art and luxury

Plus, Michael Rakowitz's ambitious restitution plans and Rosy Martin's photographical iconostasis

Hosted by Ben Luke. Produced by David Clack and Aimee Dawson
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British Museum's hopes of a 'loan arrangement' for the return of the Parthenon Marbles imperilled ahead of Greek elections

The Greek prime minister has pledged to repatriate the 2,500-year-old sculptures if re-elected

Parthenon Marbles: is a breakthrough in sight?

Plus, Afghan culture in crisis and Kiki Smith’s New York murals

Hosted by Ben Luke. With guest speaker Sarvy Geranpayeh. Produced by David Clack, Aimee Dawson and Henrietta Bentall
Sponsored byChristie's

Secret talks between British Museum and Greece to return Parthenon Marbles in 'advanced stages'

If a deal is finalised, the contested sculptures are expected to be returned to Greece in early 2023, and will be displayed at the Acropolis Museum in Athens

'Don't expect us to be passive' in the face of restitution: British Museum chair defies return of looted artefacts

In speech at the annual trustees dinner George Osborne said that "dismantling" the collection "must not become the careless act of a single generation”

As infrastructure crumbles, British Museum plans to fix Parthenon Marbles gallery next

The decision to prioritise the revamp of the museum’s Greek and Assyrian displays comes amid escalating calls for the permanent return of the Parthenon sculptures to Athens

UK heritage minister says government has no plans to amend law that prevents museums from 'disposing' of objects

The 1983 National Heritage Act was debated in the House of Lords—but the issue of reform will be further discussed ahead of its 40-year anniversary in May 2023

Protestors at British Museum demand release of writer imprisoned in Egypt

Plight of British-Egyptian Alaa Abd El-Fattah, currently on hunger strike, is focal point of protest as hieroglyphs exhibition opens

British Museum’s cracking tale of ancient Egyptian code, scholarly rivalry, sex and a magic bath

A new exhibition based around the Rosetta Stone marks 200 years since hieroglyphs were deciphered

Eight exhibitions to see during London's Frieze Week

From Cezanne's love of Provence at Tate Modern to cracking the Ancient Egyptian code at the British Museum

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss rules out deal with Greece over Parthenon Marbles

Move rebuffs George Osborne, the chair of the British Museum, who proposed a new collaborative arrangement

Pressure on British Museum to ditch BP mounts following UK's record summer heatwave

Temperatures might now be cooling, but tensions around the London institution’s ties to the oil giant are reaching boiling point

London museums close galleries as temperatures reach record high

Staff union claims it pressured the V&A and British Museum to take special measures

Copies of the Parthenon Marbles—carved by a robot—to go on show in London

Project by Oxford’s Institute for Digital Archaeology fuels debate about restitution of controversial sculptures

'Despite being an ethnic Greek, I supported Britain's claim to the Parthenon Marbles—here is why my position has changed'

"The arguments against their return to Greece are no longer tenable," argues art historian and museum professional Eleni Vassilika

'Returning the Parthenon Marbles to Athens would only feed the beast of nationalist myth—let them tell their story in London'

"Let’s choose, following Aristotle, historical truth over an emotive friendship," says classical archaeologist Mario Trabucco della Torretta

British Museum presses on minting NFTs despite crypto crash—when will UK museums stop seeing artworks as assets?

This Diary's predictions about NFTs, Brexit and Boris Johnson have all come true. But Britain removing image restrictions on art would be the ultimate victory