The museum failed to make an agreement with the Italian government about returning art. Museum director Michael Brand “noted that the museum was willing to give back some of its most important pieces and had even offered to transfer full title to Italy of its signature figure of the goddess Aphrodite — as long as further research into its origins could be jointly investigated. The letter cites the source of the deadlock as the museum’s refusal to return a prized bronze statue of a young Greek athlete, which along with the Aphrodite are considered the Getty’s marquee pieces.”