A journey through Renaissance gardens and their paradoxes: natural and artificial, sin and salvation, virtue and vice. More»
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Echo Park in 1895: Snow-capped peaks in the distance and rolling countryside all around
About: Bryan Keene
Posts by Bryan
Posted in Art, Gardens and Architecture, Manuscripts and Books, Voices
Getty Voices: Renaissance Gardens
Posted in Exhibitions and Installations, J. Paul Getty Museum, Manuscripts and Books, Paintings
A Call to Arms! Heraldry in Renaissance Florence (And a Mystery You Can Help Solve)
The Virgin and Child Surrounded by Saints, between 1350 and 1365, Follower of Bernardo Daddi (possibly Pietro Nelli). Tempera and gold leaf on panel, 37 ½ x 26 in. (95.3 x 66 cm). Portland Art Museum, 61.51
Heraldry is a fascinating and complex system by which coats of arms are devised and decoded. My familial arms—yes, my family has a coat of arms, and yours may have too—are composed of an intricate grouping of objects, including a… More»
Posted in Art, J. Paul Getty Museum, Manuscripts and Books
On the 12 Days of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me…
A Partridge (detail) in a bestiary, about 1270. Tempera colors, gold leaf, and ink on parchment, 7 ½ x 5 5/8 in. (19.1 x 14.3 cm). The J. Paul Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig XV 3, fol. 38v
Illuminated manuscripts are one of my true loves, and as a treat for the 12 days of Christmas, I’d like to share just a few of the glorious things that my true love gave to me this year. On the… More»
Posted in Exhibitions and Installations, J. Paul Getty Museum, Paintings
From the Black Death to Black Friday
Saint Eloy in His Goldsmith’s Workshop, about 1370, Master of the Misericordia. Tempera and gold leaf on panel, 13 3/4 x 15 3/8 in. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, no. 2841
There’s been a lot of talk about shopping over the past few days, from Black Friday to Cyber Monday (now expanded to Cyber Week). In late medieval Florence, shopping—for art—was also all the rage. In the years leading up to the… More»
Posted in Exhibitions and Installations, J. Paul Getty Museum, Paintings
Everyone’s Talking about Giotto
There’s been almost seven hundred years of chatter about Giotto di Bondone (about 1267–1337), a painter from Florence considered one of the greatest artists of all time. After six years of careful planning and negotiation, we at the Getty Museum are… More»
Posted in Art, J. Paul Getty Museum, Photographs, Film, and Video
Art and Coming Out
Today is National Coming Out Day, which seeks to promote a safe world for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Keith Haring was one of the early advocates of the movement, donating a drawing of a person dancing out of… More»
Posted in Art, Getty Center, J. Paul Getty Museum, Manuscripts and Books
Have You Seen an Illuminated Manuscript Lately?
The Flight into Egypt, French, about 1420-1430, tempera colors, gold paint, gold leaf, and silver paint on parchment. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Ms. 19, fol. 59
The Getty Center is one of few places in the United States where you can see medieval and Renaissance illuminated manuscripts year-round. With three or four exhibitions per year drawn almost exclusively from the permanent collection, in addition to major international… More»
Posted in Art, Exhibitions and Installations, J. Paul Getty Museum, Manuscripts and Books
Tights, A Medieval Fashion Faux Pas, Return!
For over a year now, a fashion trend from medieval Europe—once reserved for men of elite social standing—has been resurrected and adopted by women, causing some fashionistas to cringe. Tights are back. In mid-15th-century England, a law restricted the wearing… More»
Posted in Art, Exhibitions and Installations, J. Paul Getty Museum, Manuscripts and Books
Fashion According to the Pope: Short Tunics for Him and Fabulous Jewelry for Her
The current exhibition Fashion in the Middles Ages, closing Sunday, August 14, examines costumes in the pages of medieval manuscripts. At times, the clothing seen in manuscript illuminations reflected the actual styles and fabrics of the Middle Ages—but at others,… More»
Posted in Art, Exhibitions and Installations, J. Paul Getty Museum, Manuscripts and Books, Sculpture and Decorative Arts
The Buddha in Medieval Europe?
What does a 12th-century bronze sculpture from Cambodia have in common with a 15th-century manuscript from Germany? Both, surprisingly, relate to the story of the Buddha. The exhibition Gods of Angkor: Bronzes from the National Museum of Cambodia is displayed… More»
