Episode · Freakonomics Radio · 2026-08-21
Books mentioned on Is a Museum Just a Trophy Case? (Update)
The world’s great museums are full of art and artifacts that were plundered during an era when plunder was the norm. Now there’s a push to return these works to their rightful owners.
Stephen Dubner discussed Africa’s Struggle for Its Art by Bénédicte Savoy and The Brutish Museums by Dan Hicks.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Africa’s Struggle for Its Art
Discussed“That is Benedict Seavois, a French professor of art history at the technical university in Berlin. As for the Benin plunder, most important pieces went directly to the British Museum, but the rest has been sold on the art market and the art market around 1900.”
Where to get it
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The Brutish Museums
The Brutish Museums by Dan Hicks is a critical examination of colonial violence, cultural restitution, and the controversial history surrounding the acquisition of the Benin Bronzes.
Discussed“Consider the book he published in 2020. It's called The Brutish Museums: The Beninian Bronzes:es Colonial Violence and Cultural Rest. Here is a typical sentence. The sacking of Benin City in February 1897 was an attack on human life, on culture, on belief, on art, and on sovereignty.”
Where to get it
