By returning the stolen statue to Nepal but not disclosing that it was a gift from a major donor, the museum is “getting rid of a problematic object” while simultaneously “face-saving” its relationship with all donors, an art historian says.
https://www.propublica.org/article/art-institute-chicago-returned-buddha-statue-nepal-marilynn-alsdorf?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post
That would raise questions big donors to museums don't want raised, much less answered. Where did the donor get that illegally obtained artifact? From whom and when? And how big a tax deduction did they take for donating a stolen item to a major museum?
Edited 18d ago
@ProPublica I have many questions for the AIC when I see their African art displayed, with no provenance notes, just “Belgium.”