Victorious Youth in Peril: Analyzing Arguments Used in Cultural Property Disputes to Resolve the Case of the Getty Bronze

There has been a great deal of press in the recent years concerning the illegal exportation of cultural objects, their illicit sale to museums and private collectors, and the arguments that would compel either the return or restitution of such objects. This article will offer an introduction to this area including the current law and arguments by focusing the dispute surrounding a tremendous cultural asset, currently owned and residing in the United States-the Getty Bronze. The status of the statue is in question because the Italian authorities are claiming that the statue was illegally exported and, therefore, could not be sold to a person outside of the country. The debate surrounding the Getty Bronze will be the focus of this article.

This article will analyze the arguments for and against its return based upon the Getty's recent returns and two other examples of disputed cultural property including the Elgin Marbles' and the Nefertiti bust.