Returning to the Getty Center

During the pandemic one of the things I missed most was the ability to visit museums. Since my adolescence I’ve been a total museum nerd and not being able to step inside one for those many months was hard. Relatively speaking, getting sick would have been much harder, but I sure missed them. Luckily, most have reopened and I’ve spent my spare time revisiting them. My first stop? The Getty Center.

I can’t tell you how good it felt to hop back on the tram and head toward that monolith on the hill. As an art history major I took countless trips to the Getty during college and, I must admit, I took it for granted. Not this time. I took in all its glory and was so happy to be back at the famed institution.

To coincide with the reopening the Getty has introduced 4 new exhibitions: Photoflux: Unshuttering LA, Power, Justice and Tyranny in the Middle Ages, Artists as Collectors and Silk & Swan Feathers: A Luxurious 18th Century Armchair. The exhibitions cover everything from contemporary photography to illuminated manuscripts to historic furnishings and offer something for just about everyone.

I was particularly partial to Artists as Collectors and Power, Justice and Tyranny in the Middle Ages. The former highlights drawings by famous artists such as Raphael and Rembrandt that were owned by such equally famous artists as Degas and Giorgio Vasari. It was fascinating to view the latter as connoisseurs and learn a little about what interested and inspired them. Power, Justice and Tyranny features a collection of illuminated manuscripts that  showcase ” the divide between political ideals and realities” and it was enlightening (perhaps disheartening) to see documents hundreds of years old showcase the same disparities that we struggle with today.

As much as I love the artwork on display my favorite part of the Getty is the garden. I happened to visit on a beautiful day and ended up spending a large amount of my time enjoying my colorful surroundings.

I alternated between sitting under the enormous bougainvillea’s…

and wandering around admiring the multitude of colors on display.

It was such a beautiful day that I decided to walk back to my car rather than take the tram. Every once in awhile I like a good walk down the hill as it gives me a new perspective of the the surroundings. This time I came across a sculpture I’d never seen before.

When did that get there?

Currently, the Getty requires a reservation to visit but admission is still free (although there is a parking fee). It’s the perfect time to visit so be sure to head back to one of LA’s most iconic locations.