Groovin' at the Getty

Jean Paul Getty (1892-1976)  was an American industrialist who founded the Getty Oil Company.  He was one of the richest persons alive.  Although he was known for being a miser, he didn't seem to have a problem with spending money on collecting art and antiquities and he left over $600 million to his museum when he died.  His acquisitions are divided between the impressive J. Paul Getty Museum and the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades.

We visited the newly rennovated  (2006) Getty Villa on Easter afternoon. The villa shows Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities within buildings and gardens modeled after the Villa dei Papiri.  The original villa was a Roman country house in Herculaneum that was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.  The antiquities in the villa date from 6,500 BC to 400AD.

It is mind-blowing to me that the items which we viewed that afternoon were so old.  I especially loved the jewelry.  I kept imagining people wearing it.  I admit that I probably enjoyed the architecture and details of the villa as much as I did many of the antiquities.  I'm more an oil painting kind of gal - marble busts and statues don't really do it for me... accept for one lovely statue of a muse.  She had a ponytail and I couldn't stop looking at her.  I think what impressed me about her was that she looked like a pretty teenager from modern times. 

Below you will see the pictures I took that afternoon.  To view the slideshow click on the first picture below.

The Getty Villa is a glorious place.  I love that the admission is free.  I look forward to visiting many more times and finding new treasures to admire.

Coco