In 1507, German Renaissance painter Albrecht Dürer painted life-size figures of Adam and Eve, defining their forms with a fluid and continuous line. These spectacular oil-on-panel paintings, which have just undergone a lengthy conservation, went on display again last week… More»
What do you do at the Getty? I’m an objects conservator at the Getty Research Institute. The GRI houses a vast research library, with all sort of material relating to art history. Our special collections contain photographs, prints and drawings,… More»
What do cutting-edge research into future space travel and the investigation of ancient ceramic pots have in common? More than you’d think. More»
Question of the Week is a series inspired by our Masterpiece of the Week tours, offered daily at 4:00 p.m. Featuring an open and upbeat discussion among visitors and gallery teachers, the tours feature a new object and pose a… More»
I’m always amazed when science can provide a new glimpse into the life and works of an artist who lived long before my time. It makes me feel closer to the artist’s intention to be able to understand how he or… More»
I popped by the Getty Conservation Institute’s science labs this week to be met with a surprise: a large white Doug Wheeler painting (1964, Untitled, acrylic) alongside the beakers and other scientific equipment. Wheeler is best known for his neon… More»
Powdered saffron, simmering roots, crushed leaves…no, it’s not what’s cooking in the kitchen, but what’s been cooking at the Getty Villa this quarter for the UCLA/Getty Master’s Program in the Conservation of Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials. As part of a… More»
This could be my favourite Greek drinking vessel ever!
Rhyton (Drinking Vessel) in the Shape of a Donkey Head
c. 460 BC
Greek, Attica
This drinking cup could not have been set down without its contents spilling. It is fashioned after the head of a bridled donkey with a white muzzle, teeth, and ears. Like the naked satyr chasing a fleeing maenad on the vessel’s neck, the donkey belongs to the retinue of the wine god Dionysos. Douris, one of the great Athenian vase painters of first half of the fifth century B.C., decorated this amusing cup.
Source: The Art Institute of Chicago
In the morning, I’m making WAFFLES
This cup has a built-in drinking game: it can’t be put down until empty.