The Getty Villa Reopens

 

I definitely want to take advantage of the museums around Los Angeles as they reopen so I was happy to visit the Getty Villa when they reopened last month.  It was an overcast day and there were not many visitors that morning which was great because I was able to take my time viewing the exhibitions and pretending I was at my own villa enjoying my personal gardens.  

On left: Drunken Satyr with a Wineskin - replica of a bronze statue found at Herculaneum in Naples, Italy. 

Views of the East Garden and Inner Peristyle garden

I can't remember the last time I visited the Getty Villa - between the Getty Center and Getty Villa, the Villa was typically harder to reserve tickets unless you planned further in advance.  There were plenty of staff present throughout and I didn't have to queue up to enter any of the galleries.  I only remember seeing a few directional signs during my visit and there was plenty of space between tables for dining which I happily took advantage of.  

One of their current exhibitions is on Mesopotamia and I really enjoyed the various items on exhibit, most notably: 

From left: Exhibition introduction label; Land Grant Stele "Caillou Michaux" 1100-1083 BC; Wall Panel with a Striding Lion 605-562 BC made of glazed bricks; Fragment of a Winged Human-Headed Bull 721-705 BC found at Dur-Sharrukin

I had traveled to Naples and Rome a few years ago and it was an incredible experience to visit Pompeii, Herculaneum and the Naples National Archaeological Museum.  Seeing these floor mosaics and amazing glassware brought me right back to that trip - the craftsmanship is incredible!  

From left: A pair of peacocks AD 400-600 originally part of a larger mosaic on a church floor in ancient Syria (love the hearts in their tails); Mosaic with hare and birds about AD 400 excavated in 1938 in present-day Antakya, Turkey

Far left: Cameo glass titled Wine Cup with a Bacchic Scene 25 BC - AD 25, Far right: Cup with a Greek Inscription "Rejoice" AD  1-100

In the Greek gallery, there were a number of items that caught my attention - for instance in the second photo from the left.  I was really affixed at this fragment of a Greek storage jar that depicts a warrior identified as Akamas, son of mythical Athenian King Theseus - such clean and concise detail. The picture to the right of it is a clay sarcophagus, which I have only known of the Egyptian sarcophagi before this discovery!  

Last but certainly not least, I was staring at the details of engraved gems and cameos, bronze and gold Roman medallions and gold Romano-Egyptian bracelets 😍. 

Do you have a favorite museum or one you're looking forward to visiting soon?  Consider the Getty Villa and you can explore the neighboring areas of Malibu and Santa Monica on the same day. 

- Steph.