Jun 192013
The Getty Villa (Getty Trust Publications: J. Paul Getty Museum)
The original Getty Museum, housed in a replica of a Roman Villa on a site overlooking the Pacific Ocean, is one of Los Angeles’s most treasured landmarks. Closed for almost ten years while renovations were made to the building and the site itself was transformed into a center for the study of antiquities and conservation, the Getty Villa is now set to open late in 2005.
The Getty Villa is a lively history of the Getty Museum, its renowned antiquities collections, and its growth from a small
List Price: $ 65.00
Price: $ 54.50
nice villa, but it had some drawbacks,
At one level, this appears like a typical coffeetable art book. Large format, glossy pages and many detailed photos and illustrations. Certainly, you can treat it like that. Giving you several nice views of the Getty Villa over the last 30 years.
But True and her co-authors also provide a detailed history of how the villa was built. From the artistic aspirations of Getty to the legacy he left after his death. If you have already visited the villa, especially before the recent changes, then the text furnishes a neat counterpoint to your experiences. It points out that the villa was severely underserved with parking spaces. A key reason for that annoying requirement that you ring ahead to reserve a space. Another aspect was that entering the villa was often confusing, as the villa lacked a grand entrance.
To ameliorate these and other drawbacks is why the villa was shut for several years. Heavy and necessary upgrades. Plus, the new Getty Center was also being built elsewhere in Los Angeles.
The book has a hilarious anecdote. In 1993, there was a meeting at the Villa, for architects to decide on changes. A presentation was given about the last days of Pompeii and Heculaneum, before they were covered by volcanic ash. The presentation was because the Villa was inspired by excavations at those places. After the meeting, the people went outside, and saw fine white ashes fall from the sky! Was this an omen from the gods? Was Los Angeles to be destroyed by a volcano? Turned out, the ashes were from bushfires around Los Angeles, that had been raging for several days.
Seriously, though. If you are ever in Los Angeles, this book might inspire you to spend a leisurely afternoon at the Villa. It is really nice out there, by the Pacific.
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