LA.3, The Getty Center

I've been wanting to visit the Getty for years, but I knew almost nothing about it. I didn't even realize that there are two. Dillard said that we wanted to go to the Getty Center, not the Getty Villa.

We parked at a parking garage at the bottom of the hill, then took a tram up to the museum. Well, to the center: it isn't just one building--it's a complex. The design is lovely--it's like a mall with outside walkways, except it's a museum. Genius for the Southern California sunshine.

The architecture and the surrounding gardens are a rest for your eyes in between hours and hours of art. (I don't know about you, but museums always tire my eyes out--I get a headache after an hour and then need lots of breaks.)

And the views--sigh!--are incredible. You see a sweeping panorama from the ocean to the snow-capped mountains and the densely packed land in between.  



A couple of the highlights for me: This portrait of Baronne de Domecy by Odilon Redon reminds me of Klimt--something about the contrast between the presentation of the face and the patterns of the clothes and of the background. 

Edvard Munch (of The Scream fame)'s Starry Night. This night coastline is darker in person then in my snapshot. There's a lot of variation in the thickness of the paint. And there are colors sprinkled throughout that you wouldn't expect to find in the evening sky. I love the sporadic and uneven stars peaking through.






The museum has great rococo furniture, from candelabras to side tables to beds! Above: a bed that looks like a giant couch! Ingenious! Dillard is there for scale.

Below: Look at those plumes! I mean we're talking about Roman or British cavalry or somebody on horses helmet plume.

There were a couple of great photography exhibits, including one by Robert Mapplethorpe, and a great exhibit of Florentine art in the 1300s. One of the things that I love about medieval art is that I always learn more about Catholicism by looking at it. For instance, did you know that the Catholic tradition at one point was that Mary's house got miraculously moved by angels to Italy?

And this picture (below): I have literally never seen anything like it. I'm so sorry that I couldn't get a better shot. The description of the picture says something about communion flowing from Christ to His twelve apostles through tubes coming from his naval. 

I also like this crucifix--the black background and the sun and moon certainly innovative (okay, okay--he was following someone else, but it's not something you see a lot).