
Napoleon’s Looted Art - Red_Tarsius
https://shannonselin.com/2019/04/napoleon-looted-art/
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oefrha
The British commentary quoted in the article condemning the French is kind of
amusing. It's not like they themselves aren't known for looting and keeping
art (the Parthenon and the Old Summer Palace immediately pop to mind).

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lurcio
My friend, understand the difference between looting and preservation :-)

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tamizhar
> understand the difference between looting and preservation

british were infamous for their destruction of indian metal art by melting it
down for sundry purposes of their army

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wazoox
An exact, visually indistinguishable (down to the paint thickness and cut
marks) 3D reconstitution of the "Wedding at Cana" has been made for the 200th
of the looting and given back to Italy, and installed back in the stead of the
original one.

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jimhefferon
Do you have a reference for that? It sounds interesting.

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wazoox
I had to search for a while, but I've got it. Here's the article I've first
read about it: [https://www.telerama.fr/scenes/comment-la-copie-des-noces-
de...](https://www.telerama.fr/scenes/comment-la-copie-des-noces-de-cana-a-
supplante-l-original,123438.php)

Here are two other articles in English on the subject: [http://www.factum-
arte.com/pag/38/A-facsimile-of-the-Wedding...](http://www.factum-
arte.com/pag/38/A-facsimile-of-the-Wedding-at-Cana-by-Paolo-Veronese)

[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/29/arts/design/29pain.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/29/arts/design/29pain.html)

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jimhefferon
Thanks.

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eaenki
This got me thinking.

Gold, land and art. Bitcoin might be as valuable as gold. Is there anything
else that is valuable today? I’d say flying vehicles. But then, why do they
depreciate so much upon purchase while Hermès bags appreciate? Because of
artificial scarcity. My question is: does it make that much sense that scarce
things are valuable? Mining and health equipment, food, airplanes and rockets
are so much more useful, yet because they can easily be mass produced, aren’t
that valuable.

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xwolfi
Value is absolutely fleeting and has no sole or permanent definition.

Gold is valuable because it's the color of the sun, keeps its mass for large
periods (doesnt oxide) and is rare enough to not be found in any idiots garden
every other week.

A rocket or an airplane are much more valuable than their weight in metal,
sure, but they wear over time. After 200 years, go fly a rocket or a plane,
same for food. So their value drop with time.

I'd much rather own a fun book today than a gold coin, but one I read the book
it lost so much of its value to me I'd be totally ready to give it to a
friend, who'll consider it low value therefore. What if I had bought the gold
coin instead ?

If I had to attempt a definition of absolute value, I'd say objects with the
most value are those whose attributes stay the same over time. Land keeps
producing food, gold keeps its mass and color, culture keeps influencing or
entertaining people, etc. Food and machines, meh.

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danielam
And even buildings, or at least according to the legend in which Napoleon
expressed a wish to relocate the Church of St. Anne in Vilnius to Paris.

