The hassle about the Victorious Youth at the Getty Museum

The Getty Bronze, better known as the Victorious Youth, is a centerpiece of the Museum at the Getty Villa in Malibu but maybe not for long because Italy wants it back.

[Image via the Getty Open Content Program]

The life story of this magnificent bronze statue is a familiar one. It was created in Greece between 300-100 BC, stolen by the Romans who shipped it to Rome. As so often, the ship never arrived and its cargo, including this fine bronze, was lost somewhere in the Adriatic Sea. In 1964, Italian fishermen found the statue that somehow joined the collection of the Getty Museum.

At present, Italy’s highest court has ordered that this prize piece should be returned to Italy. The Getty appealed the decision, arguing that it was probably made outside Italy and was retrieved from international waters; after two thousand years, the piece is no longer an Italian artifact and not subject to repatriation.