Art
What to Make of Nero?
An exhibition takes on the notorious Roman emperor, from gleaming marble to roaring flames.
British Museum
News
Toga-clad Activists Crashed British Museum’s Reopening to Protest Oil Sponsorship
BP or Not BP? activists staged a protest against Big Oil sponsorship at the British Museum and Science Museum this weekend.
News
A Rare, Looted Statue of a Greek Goddess Has Been Returned to Libya
The 2,000-year-old statue, believed to depict Persephone, is impeccably preserved.
Art
At British Museum, a Promising But Flawed Start to Grappling With Colonialism
“Empire and Collecting,” a new self-guided tour, reflects an attempt to help visitors understand the colonial origins of the collection.
Opinion
The British Museum Isn't Doing Enough to Fight Illegal Antiquities Trafficking
While the museum presents its attempt to identify trafficked antiquities as an altruistic enterprise, its policing of the antiquities market also distracts from its historic role in acquiring looted objects.
News
Climate Activists Crash Arctic Exhibition at British Museum to Protest Oil Funding
BP or not BP? staged the demonstration as part of a day of action convened by the Alaskan Indigenous organizations Defend the Sacred AK and Native Movement.
News
British Museum Will Move Bust of its Founding Donor, a Colonialist and Slaveowner
Sir Hans Sloane’s bust will be moved from prominent display to a secure cabinet alongside artifacts explaining his work in the context of the British empire.
Opinion
Addressing the British Museum’s Colonial History and Hollow Solidarity With Black Lives
“I am disappointed that it took the death of an unarmed Black man for you to join the conversation about the colonial past and present of the British Museum,” says Bayryam Mustafa Bayryamali in a letter addressed to director Hartwig Fischer.
News
Anti-Oil Activists Stage Largest Protest Yet at British Museum, With Trojan Horse in Tow
Hundreds of activists occupied the British Museum for a protest lasting over two days straight, coinciding with the BP-sponsored exhibition Troy: Myth and Reality.
In Brief
Two Treasure Hunters Headed to Jail After Concealing Their Discovery of Viking Treasure Trove
The metal detector enthusiasts, along with two coin dealers who assisted in selling the concealed find, have all been sentenced to up to 10 years in jail. The collection is worth an estimated $15.4 million.
Art
When the West Dreamt of Odalisques
Inspired by the East: How the Islamic World Influenced Western Art is a giant teaching aid of a fairly solid and dependable kind, but one that does not quite push far enough.
News
Activists Dressed as Trojan Figures Crash Opening of BP-Funded Exhibition
Activist group BP or not BP? interrupted the opening of Troy: Myth and Reality at the British Museum, dressed as “living statues," including a character of their own invention, “Petroleus.”