The adventure and derring-do of ancient myth is an easy sell to kids, and parents too for that matter. But I believe your kids need to know more. More»
We’re well into 2012, the year proclaimed as the end of time by Mayan hieroglyphs, extra-terrestrial communicators, and bad disaster movies. The Getty Apocalypse, a medieval manuscript of the biblical Book of Revelation recently published as a facsimile by Getty… More»
Do you picture archaeological sites as dry, dusty piles of stones? Meet Peirene, an ancient Greek ruin so tantalizing that archaeologists have literally died for it. Dry and dusty this place is not. The story of the alluring ruin is… More»
In 1949, self-taught photographer Lucien Hervé (1910–2007) traveled from Paris to Marseille to see Unité d’habitation, a housing complex by architect Le Corbusier. Awed by the groundbreaking modern design, Hervé took 650 photographs of it in a single day. When… More»
In the 1700s, the seeds of a new style of presenting works of art—both on the wall and on the page—were planted by a German prince. I talked with Louis Marchesano, curator of prints and drawings at the Getty Research… More»
Nikolaus Pevsner (1902–1983) was one of the 20th century’s foremost historians of British architecture. Even today, tourists wander through the historic squares of England aided by Pevsner’s The Buildings of England guidebooks, which remain in print with Yale University Press… More»
Berlin, circa 1921: The painter Hans Richter turns his talents to film and produces one of the earliest abstract films, Rhythmus 21. Clocking in at just over three minutes, it’s a significant departure from the newsreels, romances, cliff-hangers, and penny-dreadfuls… More»
The mythology of artistic greatness tends to privilege the spark of creative genius over hard work, sacrifice, and experimentation. Traditionally, the biographies of famous artists have described naïve talents who achieved notoriety only after being fortuitously discovered. By contrast, Man… More»
In the entire 500-year history of the printed book, it is difficult to imagine a time of more innovation and change than now. Just a few short years ago, readers had the simple choice of hardback or paperback when they… More»
When British author Geoff Dyer came to speak at Zócalo Public Square at the Getty Museum, he was prepared to be a bore. “It’s going to be the classic definition,” he said, “the bore, the person who lectures you about… More»
Nature, a powerful force out of the control of man. Storms can be a depiction of anxiety, heroism, drama, and beauty, but also can provide a context for an artist to explore the emotion behind color, form and texture.
Long Ship’s Lighthouse, Land’s End, 1834-1835, Joseph Mallord William Turner, watercolor and bodycolor. J. Paul Getty Museum.
A Storm on a Mediterranean Coast, 1767, Claude-Joseph Varnet, oil on canvas. J. Paul Getty Museum.