Following the signing of the agreement, we had the opportunity to walk Minister Yeroulanos and his colleagues around the Villa. Because there was a matinee of Trojan Women (after Euripides) for college and high school students that afternoon, the group was able to catch the closing moments of the performance. Before the question-and-answer session with the cast of the play, I invited Minister Yeroulanos to address the students. He quickly explained that the Greeks were not the ones responsible for the Trojan War, and commented how delighted he was that Greek theater was being celebrated at the Getty.
Reflecting on the day’s events, I was reminded that, in these complex negotiations and discussions about cultural collaborations and patrimony, we all share a common goal—to heighten awareness and appreciation of our shared cultural past and use it to educate our lives today. For our friends in Greece, I am hoping this agreement will mark a new beginning in that endeavor alongside their friends here at the Getty.
In October I will be traveling to Athens along with James Cuno and Claire Lyons, our acting senior curator of antiquities, where we will explore further the concepts laid out in our newly signed agreement. What this will mean is that visitors to the Getty Museum can expect to see a number of beautiful loan objects from Greece, as well as exhibitions that will give us all a better appreciation of Greece’s rich artistic heritage.