The J. Paul Getty Museum (A Whole Bunch Of Pictures!)

As mentioned, yesterday was our twelfth wedding anniversary, but we celebrated on Saturday by going to The J. Paul Getty Museum here in Los Angeles. It was our first visit, one of the reasons we picked it for this special occasion.

The museum at the Getty Center was opened over fifteen years ago. Admission is free (parking is not, but you can get there by public transportation) and the main thing I remember from when it opened was that it was more crowded than Disneyland. That phase has obviously passed, although they still get over a million visitors a year.

Even though I’ve lived here almost forty years, and Ronnie almost her whole life, The Getty was one of those things that we had just never gotten around to. “It will always be there when we want to go!” Right, you know the feeling?

If guests came in from out of town for a week it would be something that would put high on their list along with Disneyland, the beach, Hollywood, Dodger Stadium, a concert at the Disney Concert Hall or LA Live… But we drive by it every time we go over the hill on the 405, it’s right there on the hill overlooking the entire city. We’ll get to it!

It was time to go. And it was so much worth it!

The Getty Center occupies one of the uber-spectacular pieces of real estate in all of Los Angeles, and it was designed by Richard Meier and cost over a billion dollars. It shows. The day was overcast and gray to start, which was great because you’re often outside walking between the many buildings and galleries. (Above, you can see the 405 Freeway below us, Westwood and UCLA just off to the left of the freeway, and the skyscrapers of Century City and the Wilshire Corridor in the distance. The stairs lead out to the Cactus Garden.)

Everything is covered in thirty-inch squares of travertine with fountains all around. From the surrounding city (and freeways) the museum is stunning, especially illuminated at night. From the many courtyards on the site it’s just as spectacular.

Ronnie looking at Portrait of Agostino Pallavicini by Van Dyck (1623). As you can see, the galleries are cavernous, well lit, and comfortable.

The entire museum is huge. We were there for about three hours and might have seen a third of it without a lot of dawdling. And yet we didn’t get to see the Rubens, the Van Gogh, the Monet, the Renoir… If you’re in town and you only get to see it once, plan on spending the whole day.

Here are just a few of the items we saw, some favorites. I apologize in advance for some of the so-so photography. As in most museums there’s no flash photography and no tripods allowed. In addition, many of the pieces are hung high, so there’s a bit of a fisheye effect in getting the whole painting into the frame. (Let these marginal photos just whet your appetite to come and see these magnificent paintings in person!)

A very dark piece, Christ and the Adulteress by Boulogne (1620s). Chiaroscuro, anyone?

A piece Ronnie liked a lot, Landscape With A Calm by Poussin (1651).

Another of Ronnie’s favorites, Head Of A Woman by Sweerts (1654). This was incredibly realistic, really seemed to jump off of the canvas.

Portrait of a Young Man by Van Der Helst (1650). The silver & gold detail work on the cloak’s hem and collar was indescribable.

The Abduction of Europa by Rembrandt (1632).

An Old Man in Military Costume by Rembrandt (1631)

Saint Bartholomew by Rembrandt (1661). I must say, seeing three Rembrandts hanging side by side is quite the experience.

Portrait of Anthony Valabregue by Cezanne (1871). All those things you learn about in art classes regarding brush strokes and thick and thinner paint and so on? I never really, really got it until I got six inches away from some of these pieces.

Portrait of a Man by Manet (1860)

Modern Rome – Campo Vaccino by Turner (1839)

Portrait of Therese Countes Clary Aldringen by Sargent (1896) was one of my two favorites. It’s a huge piece but just stunning, dominates the room.

Portrait of Princess Leonilla of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn by Winterhalter (1843)

Portrait of the Marquesa de Santiago by Goya (1804). This was not one of Ronnie’s favorites, but the accompanying plaque talked a lot about Goya’s technique and intent and I could see how it was supposed to look the way it did.

The Farewell of Telemachus & Eucharis by David (1818)

Entrance to the Jardin Turc by Boilly (1812). This was probably my favorite of the day, a piece that I had never heard of from an artist that I had never heard of, but it really came to life for me. The detail picture can’t even come close to showing how detailed and lifelike this scene was.

Diana and Her Nymphs Bathing by de Troy (1724)

View of the Grand Canal: Santa Maria Della Salute and the Dogana From Campo Santa Maria Zobenigo by Bellatto (1743). Another extremely detailed and realistic scene where you could almost see the birds flying by and the sails rippling in the wind.

The Model Resting by Toulouse-Lautrec (1889)

Dancer Taking A Bow (The Star) by Degas (1877)

Obviously, if you come to visit Los Angeles and you care at all about art, you MUST put a full day in your schedule to visit The Getty. We have the luxury of going back when we want to and we won’t be waiting fifteen years for the next trip!