Getty Museum
World class collection of art
Gem of Malibu
Cori MacNaughton
I am, of course, referring to the original Getty Museum, housed in J. Paul Getty's estate high above the Pacific Ocean in Malibu (technically it is in Pacific Palisades), which was itself a full-scale replica of a destroyed Roman villa in Herculaneum, near Pompeii, which was covered in ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D./C.E.
Getty had the villa built specifically to house his growing art collection, as it had already outgrown his nearby ranch, where he initially exhibited artwork first to friends, and later opened it to the public.
Even the villa, which was a complete reproduction down to the meticulously manicured gardens surrounding the large reflecting pool, and the amazing frescoes that covered the walls, was never large enough to display his entire art collection at one time. Indeed, parking itself was limited, so while the museum itself was at the time free to the public, you had to call in advance to reserve your parking space, which was also free.
http://www.getty.edu/museum/about.html
There were permanent exhibits in the downstairs galleries of his vast collection of ancient Greek, Roman and Etruscan art, of European paintings from many periods, and upstairs of fancifully ornate French Rococo art, including tapestries and furnishings, while traveling exhibitions came and went.
I remember once seeing an exhibit of the Armand Hammer collection of Rembrandt's works, including many oil paintings and several of his drawings; another exhibit of black and white photographs by Ansel Adams, and too many others to now recount.
To say that I was in love with the place is an understatement. From the first time we went there, we were all enthralled and captivated, and we went back on a regular basis. Of all of the many world class museums in and around the L.A. area, the Getty was hands down my family's favorite, and we always made it a point to visit the small tea room for a cup of tea before leaving. They had great food, too.
I was upset to learn that the Getty Villa was damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and it was still closed to the public when I visited friends and family in October of that year. It was still closed when I visited in 2002, although a major renovation project was underway, though it had reopened to researchers. A school friend of mine, who later became an art historian, spent several years working at the Getty Villa, and I'll readily admit to being mildly envious. ;-)
But after opening their architectural marvel that is the new Getty Center, many people seemed to all but forget about the villa, and I even spoke to one gentleman who told me sincerely that he couldn't imagine why they would even consider reopening it to the public again. He considered it no longer needed.
I could never agree with that stance. Clearly he had not spent many of his formative years staring fixedly at the mosaic floor that first greeted visitors upon entering, an intricate geometric design with the medusa's head at the center, which was and remains one of my favorite pieces of art in the world.
The Getty Villa was built specifically ho house the Greek, Roman and Etruscan art, and to me, there will never be a better place to do so, unless it was in an actual restored Roman (or Greek) villa of the period. Here in the U.S., this will have to do, and it is an amazingly beautiful and restful setting, with an incredible vibe.
If you ever find yourself in or near L.A., I highly recommend a visit, if you have any interest in that period of history whatsoever. I promise you will thank me later.
The caption for the image above:
Unknown
Mosaic Floor with Head of Medusa, about A.D. 115–150, Stone tesserae
270.5 × 270.5 cm, 1745.8949 kg (106 1/2 × 106 1/2 in., 3848.9999 lb.)
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
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Sounds like an amazing place to visit, Cori:)
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