Saint Matthew New Testament
Object or Group Name
Saint Matthew New Testament
Case Summary
In 1960, the Saint Matthew New Testament, a 12th century Byzantine illuminated manuscript, was reported stolen from the Monastery of Dionysiou in Greece.
The Saint Matthew New Testament is considered a masterpiece of Middle Byzantine art. Stylistic and art historical research suggested it had been created in Constantinople and was later acquired by the monastery.
The theft of the manuscript was never reported to law enforcement or stolen art databases, and it remained hidden in unidentified private collections for 23 years. The J. Paul Getty Museum acquired it in 1983 as part of the "well-documented" Ludwig Collection of Byzantine manuscripts (Ms. Ludwig II 4, fol. 10). In fact, the acquisition of the large Ludwig Collection was the basis for the Getty Museum to establish its Department of Manuscripts.
Greek authorities learned of the Getty's possession of the manuscript in 2014 when it was exhibited in "Heaven and Earth: Byzantine Illumination at the Cultural Crossroad." Before that, it had been featured in 14 additional exhibitions at the Getty and loaned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1997 for the exhibition “The Glory of Byzantium.”
After Greece claimed the missing manuscript, the Getty conducted additional research and agreed to voluntarily return the manuscript. The decision was in line with the 2011 Framework for Cultural Cooperation that Greece signed with the Getty Museum, in part to mitigate the damage caused by the museum's past acquisitions of looted Greek objects.
After its return to Greece in 2014, the manuscript was briefly on display at the Byzantine Museum in Athens along with several other manuscript pages. Following that, it was returned to Dionysiou Monastery.
The Saint Matthew New Testament is considered a masterpiece of Middle Byzantine art. Stylistic and art historical research suggested it had been created in Constantinople and was later acquired by the monastery.
The theft of the manuscript was never reported to law enforcement or stolen art databases, and it remained hidden in unidentified private collections for 23 years. The J. Paul Getty Museum acquired it in 1983 as part of the "well-documented" Ludwig Collection of Byzantine manuscripts (Ms. Ludwig II 4, fol. 10). In fact, the acquisition of the large Ludwig Collection was the basis for the Getty Museum to establish its Department of Manuscripts.
Greek authorities learned of the Getty's possession of the manuscript in 2014 when it was exhibited in "Heaven and Earth: Byzantine Illumination at the Cultural Crossroad." Before that, it had been featured in 14 additional exhibitions at the Getty and loaned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1997 for the exhibition “The Glory of Byzantium.”
After Greece claimed the missing manuscript, the Getty conducted additional research and agreed to voluntarily return the manuscript. The decision was in line with the 2011 Framework for Cultural Cooperation that Greece signed with the Getty Museum, in part to mitigate the damage caused by the museum's past acquisitions of looted Greek objects.
After its return to Greece in 2014, the manuscript was briefly on display at the Byzantine Museum in Athens along with several other manuscript pages. Following that, it was returned to Dionysiou Monastery.
Number of Objects
1
Object Type
Religious Work – crucifixes, shrine objects, icons, religious texts
Information Artifact – books, seals, plaques, scrolls
Culture
Byzantine
Museum Name
J. Paul Getty Museum
Museum Accession Number
Ms. 65 (98.MB.151), fol. 13v. Alternatively, 98.MB.151.13v (Object Number)
Ms. 65, fol. 13v (Manuscript Number).
Ms. 65, fol. 13v (Manuscript Number).
Receiving Country
Greece
Sources
The J. Paul Getty Museum Announces the Return of A Byzantine Illuminated New Testament to Greece
https://web.archive.org/web/20140414034107/http://news.getty.edu/press-materials/press-releases/byzantine-manu-to-greece.htm
Getty Museum Returns Missing Illuminated Manuscript to Greece
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/getty-museum-returns-missing-illuminated-manuscript-to-greece-10000
Getty Museum to return 12th century New Testament to Greece monastery
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-getty-museum-new-testament-greece-20140407-story.html
Return of Byzantine Manuscript to Mount Athos
https://orthochristian.com/73627.html
Images
MOLA Contributor(s)
Damien Huffer
Peer Reviewed By
Jason Felch
Citation
“Saint Matthew New Testament,” Museum of Looted Antiquities, accessed October 14, 2024, https://mola.omeka.net/items/show/977.