Reliëf tijdens restauratie before 1868

This photograph of a relief under restoration was made by William H. Griggs. It’s interesting to consider the cultural value placed on preservation and restoration and what it can tell us about the society that undertakes it. How does a culture decide which artifacts are worth saving and why? Here, we have a photographic document of the restoration itself. Griggs was British and worked during a time of great archeological discovery in the Near East. Often, these finds were brought to Europe and the Americas. The politics of possession and display are worth considering here. Who gets to decide where the art should be, who gets to see it, and who is authorized to restore it? For a deeper understanding, researching the history of archeology, museum studies, and British imperialism would be beneficial. This image invites us to think about the institutional frameworks that shape our understanding of art and history.