A Visit to Getty Villa

Looking at Getty Villa from far end of the Outdoor Peristyle

This morning we headed to Getty Villa, a place we visited almost 10 years ago. The museum is designed like a Roman villa, inspired by a sculpture J Paul Getty acquired in 1951. It's the Landsdowne Hercules, who holds a club in his left hand and a lion skin in the other.

The Landsdowne Hercules

The statue is housed in its own special room with a stunning mosaic floor of concentric circles made up of triangles.

Getty Villa has an extensive collection of Greek and Roman items, from statues and carvings to jewellery, vessels and coins. There are tour guides on hand to give groups or individual visitors an insider's look inside the museum and they are quite knowledgable.

We bumped into one who explained extensively how there are portraits on wood that have survived thousands of years in Egypt because it was very hot and dry, and also they were preserved together with mummies!

The portraits were of the dead people who were mummified: the expert explained typically their organs were removed and then dried out before being covered in oils and then resin, wrapped in linen, covered in another layer of resin and then another layer of linen before the wooden portrait was placed on top of the head.

How's that for detail!

An exhibition that is going on now is Persepolis: The Palace Experience. It is about the time of ancient Iran (550BC-AD650) and centres around the rein of King Xerces (pronounced sir-seas). We watched an immersive almost 360-degree five-minute film that showed through computer animation what the palace must have looked like when King Xerces built it (and was completed by his son decades later) in Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (550-330BC).

Persian winged lion at Persepolis

However it was razed to the ground by Alexander the Great in around 330BC.

The show featured different Iranian artefacts from coins and jewellery to glazed bricks, reliefs, and statues. They were very elaborate, some in gold and silver, the carvings very intricate and the reliefs have a lot of expression, particularly of animals attacking each other, or men hunting for animals.

It then dawned on me -- why throughout history has civilisation only celebrated violence, victory against enemies, power over others? It's a very masculine, or a projection of what men should do to others. Why not put a greater value on peace? Happiness? Progress?

Guess not... but since that's all we have perhaps that's what we should appreciate, but also try to change the narrative of history?

In any event, what is wonderful about Getty Villa is that you can alternatively enjoy the museum pieces as well as the outdoor gardens, of which there are a few on the property. The most stunning is the Outdoor Peristyle, where Greek replica sculptures are nestled in bushes and flowers along a very long and narrow pool with fountains at both ends.

Royal Lion Hunt from Assyria

There's also the Inner Peristyle that also has lots of colourful flowers and shrubs, while the East Garden has a replica of a fountain found in Pompeii. There's also a herb garden next to the Outer Peristyle, and a small garden in the atrium area. Lots of young people were trying to do their perfect Instagram pose... better to just enjoy the gardens that have been carefully tended to by thoughtful (and artistic) gardeners.

I couldn't stop taking pictures of the beautiful roses in bloom, and the irises too that were very large and so interesting to look at up close. There is also a small lily pond near the back where the cafe is.

Today being a Monday it was nice that there weren't too many people visiting the museum. It too is concerned about Covid-19 and has warned visitors to keep masks on if not vaccinated, while those who have been jabbed have the option of masks off. Some staff didn't wear them, others did. There was a brief security check at the door and lots of hand sanitiser stations nearby.

So glad Getty built the museum for people like to us to enjoy for free! We had a fun leisurely time here.

Relief of a lion and bull in combat at Persepolis

Getty Villa

17985 Pacific Coast Highway

Pacific Palisades, CA

90272

310 440 7300