Side Trip: The Getty Villa

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Getty Villa Malibu

The Getty Center—the famed, world-class museum complex perched high in the Santa Monica Mountains overlooking West Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean—is one of the top attractions for visitors to L.A. But people shouldn’t forget about the original Getty Museum, now known as the Getty Villa, which is absolutely worth a visit too. Located atop another hill, right on the coast in scenic Malibu, the Getty Villa houses about 1,200 of the approximately 44,000 works from the J. Paul Getty Museum’s collection of Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities.

The Getty Villa is modeled after a first-century Roman country estate known as the Villa dei Papiri. Located in Herculaneum, in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius, the villa was buried by the volcano’s infamous eruption in 79 A.D. Much of the Villa dei Papiri remains unexcavated to this day. This was used as inspiration for the construction of the Getty Villa, which was built in a narrow canyon to resemble an archaeological excavation. Each building is at a slightly different elevation, just like the different strata you’d encounter when unearthing ancient ruins.

Inner Peristyle

The museum features twenty-three galleries devoted to its permanent collection, with five additional galleries for changing exhibitions. The galleries are arranged thematically, including rooms dedicated to Mythological Heroes, the Trojan War, Gods & Goddesses, and Monsters & Minor Deities. With objects dating from 6,500 B.C. to 400 A.D., Getty’s extraordinary collection contains classical statues and busts as well as artifacts from everyday life such as vessels made of terracotta, marble or bronze. There are several displays of ancient coins, gems, and jewelry from these lost civilizations to admire as well.

After a ten-year closure for extensive renovations, the Getty Villa reopened in 1997. Guests begin their visit at an open-air entry pavilion and then progress along a scenic pathway to a 450-seat outdoor amphitheater, located on the side of the Villa. The entrance to the museum is via the Atrium, where visitors are greeted by Lion Attacking a Horse, a massive marble sculpture on loan from the Musei Capitolini in Rome, Italy. Carved around 325 B.C. and restored in 1594, this exquisite relic from Ancient Greece is only a taste of the treasures you’ll find within the museum.

Two of Getty’s most prized possessions are located on the second floor. The Statue of a Victorious Youth (c. 300 B.C.) portrays an Olympic victor and is one of the few life-sized Greek bronzes to have survived to modern times. Another work, the Lansdowne Herakles, is a Roman marble sculpture dating to circa 125 A.D. The statue shows mighty Herakles with a club over his shoulder and one hand grasping the skin of the mythological Nemean lion.

Also on the second floor are the galleries devoted to temporary exhibitions. On my visit I experienced “The Last Days of Pompei,” which featured artwork depicting the fateful eruption that destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum. There were paintings from the Renaissance to the Contemporary; by artists from Piranesi, Fragonard, and Alma-Tadema to Dalí, Rothko, and Warhol. The exhibit also included a plaster casts of the dead who were buried in ash as well as a small assortment of relics that were recovered from the Pompeii ruins.

Like the Getty Center, the architecture and grounds of the Getty Villa are spectacular. I loved the formal gardens within the Outer Peristyle and the sweeping views of the sparkling Pacific beyond. Looking at the surrounding hillsides planted with olive and cypress trees, you’d think you were somewhere in Italy’s Campania Region and not sunny Southern California.

Below are some photos from my visit. (It’s permitted to take photos of the permanent collection and outdoor areas.)

 

The view from the Villa looking at the Pacific Ocean.

 

The museum entrance

Getty Villa Lion Attacking a Horse in the museum’s Atrium

 
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Ancient frescoes

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 Antique pottery and other relics.

 
 
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A vessel from Ancient Rome.

 
 
plaster cast
 

A plaster cast of one of the dead from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.

 

IMG_0775 The arcades of the Outer Peristyle.

 
 
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Banners for the temporary exhibition of “The Last Days of Pompeii,” featuring artwork by Andy Warhol.


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Architectural detailing of the Getty Villa’s Outer Peristyle.

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A second-floor gallery, featuring the ancient Greek bronze, Statue of a Victorious Youth.

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A view of the Outer Peristyle.

 
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The arcades of the Outer Peristyle.

 
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A view of the fountain and formal gardens of the Outer Peristyle.

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A view of the main museum building, fountain and formal gardens of the Outer Peristyle.

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The view from the second story balcony, overlooking the formal gardens of the Outer Peristyle and Pacific Ocean.

 

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  Another perspective of Lion Attacking a Horse in the museum’s Atrium

Guaraciaba do Norte Where: 17985 Pacific Coast Highway,
Pacific Palisades, California 90272
order Ivermectin mastercard When: The Getty Villa is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays; closed Tuesdays and major holidays.
How much: Admission is free, but advance tickets with designated arrival times must be pre-ordered. Parking is $15 per vehicle.
For more information: Visit the official Getty website at www.getty.edu

 

Have you been to the Getty Villa before? What were your impressions? Feel free to comment in the section below!

This is my submission for Travel Photo Thursday. Be sure to check out Budget Travelers Sandbox for more great photos from around the world!

 

 

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20 thoughts on “Side Trip: The Getty Villa”

  1. Muza-chan says:

    Interesting place to visit 🙂

  2. Beautiful pictures! You know I’ve never been inside the Getty Museum. I’ve been in the area so know about the amazing views but really need to wander inside sometime!

  3. budget jan says:

    Well the view is amazing enough, and the fact that it is a model of the 1st century Villa dei Papiri. Sounds like a great place to visit.

  4. What a gorgeous building, and the grounds are absolutely spectacular.
    That lion attacking the horse is very realistic.

  5. Great exhibition. I think you could probably learn more about the ancient roman societies there, than by visiting Pompeii.

  6. The last time I was at the Getty Villa was when it was still a museum for a college class. I’ve longed to return to see how the villa looks. What great exhibits and it’s great to know it’s as beautiful as I remembered it.

  7. Leigh says:

    It’s the grounds and the views that are calling me. I hadn’t heard about the Villa before but it seems it and the museum are both very worthwhile. Great photos Michael – esecially the first one.
    Glad to see you posting again.

  8. I was wondering if the Villa was still open now that the “new” museum opened. It’s been 20 years since I’ve visited, but it’s just as beautiful in your pictures as I remember. That cast of the Vesuvius victim really conveys how horrible it must have been.

  9. Nancie says:

    How beautiful! Looks like something you would find in Europe.

  10. You have reminded me how long I’ve had the Getty on my “wannago” list, and I still have not gotten there.
    I love the way that you got lots of different angles and views, so I feel like I really know the place.

  11. What an amazing place. It reminds me of Hearst Castle in its opulence. What a fabulous setting, too. Would love to visit.

  12. They have a plaster cast of one of the dead? Creepy ain’t it? Pretty much like what a museum should have haha

  13. Zubi Travel says:

    The Getty Villa reminds me of the old Moorish palaces in Spain. It’s like a modern Alhambra and Generalife.

  14. Lane says:

    Great photo essay. One of the perks of living in LA, all of the museums. The Villa shouldn’t be confused with the Getty Museum and Institute. It’s located off the 405 and is also free — except for parking.

  15. Kathy says:

    Fabulous article! I was there with you and it brings it all back. The villa is absolutely worth visiting, if nothing else the views of the gorgeous Pacific are worth it. Loved the pictures

    1. Michael says:

      Thanks Mom! 🙂

  16. I had read about this once before and now am fully intrigued. Definitely a unique experience…

  17. Sofia says:

    Looks beautiful! I’d love to go there one day. I love it when museums make an effort to create a beautiful garden as well.

    1. Michael says:

      Thanks Sofia. I’m sure you’d love it too.

  18. Keven Belcourt says:

    hey, very nice photos, soo sweet villa I want such too 🙂

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