Los Angeles – Malibu’s J. Paul Getty Museum has announced the voluntary restitution of a marble statue depicting Zeus dating back to 100 BC purchased by the museum in 1992. Getty made the decision to return the Zeus Enthroned sculpture, 74 centimeters high, receiving the information provided by the Italian authorities backed by the recent discovery of a fragment of the statue. The sculpture could have been worshiped in a private chapel of a rich Greek or Roman villa. The heavy marine encrustation that partially covers it makes it possible to assume a prolonged period into the sea. The left side of the statue, intact, was probably immersed in the sand and therefore protected. “The return of the Zeus Enthroned – declares the Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Dario Franceschini – gives back to Italy an item that is an integral part of the national cultural heritage. The statue will be exhibited at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, and then, once its exact origin is assured, it’s destined to the community from which it was illegally removed”. The ancient sculpture was delivered to the Italian authorities at Villa Getty in the presence of the Italian Consul General in Los Angeles, Antonio Verde, who complimented the decision of the museum to return the item: “It is wonderful that the Getty has a such a positive relationship with Italy, both in terms of the restitution of works of art and special exhibitions and the loaning that allows to exhibit Italian masterpieces in the museum”. (9colonne)
