July 24, 2014
Destination: The Getty Villa, Pacific Palisades
Cost: $15.00 for parking, plus gas
When the Getty Villa first opened in 1974, I was taking a
class in ancient Roman history at UCLA. I loved visiting the loosely recreated Villa of The Papyri – inspired by the
ruins at Herculaneum - and found the historic statues housed there to be
powerful and inspiring. It was disappointing that the museum closed from 1997 through
2006 for renovation – and yet somehow I never made it back to the new Getty
Villa until just now.
What a surprise to secure a same-day parking pass on a
beautiful summer afternoon at the height of tourist season. A 3:00 p.m.
entrance time left only two hours to explore the stunning grounds and
galleries, but with crowds thinning at the end of the day it also made for a relaxed
experience.
I found the current exhibition - Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections – particularly interesting. I had forgotten (or never
knew?) that the Roman Empire moved its capitol to Constantinople in A.D. 330,
at the same time its emperors were fully embracing Christianity. This
resulted in artwork that featured images of the pagan gods (Venus, Jupiter,
Bacchus) alongside visuals of Christ and the Madonna. I hadn’t realized that it
took just a few hundred years, in cultures free of communication tools like the
world wide web, for a new religion to
grow and expand until it dominated the largest political structure of
the age. This is why I like museums – brain exercise.
The two Getty complexes are an incredible Southern
California resource. Being able to pop over to a beautiful site with
breathtaking views and inspiring ancient art on a moment’s notice is part of
what makes living in LA so special.
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