The Fabulous Gettys

I was bowled over with admiration for Mr. Getty when we visited the Getty Villa and the Getty Centre - both awesome museums in more ways than one and all financed by the generous Mr. Getty. Never have we been to a private museum where we didn't have to pay for admission (other than parking) and were welcomed by such friendly staff who (one would assume) must have been treated well by their employer.  The facilities were superbly well-maintained and the Getty Center in particular, was awe-inspiring both for its architecture as well as its spectacular setting.  

I will let the photos speak for themselves.  But do visit the link to read more about the Getty Villa and the Getty Center (also called The Getty).  The Getty Villa covers antiquities while the Getty Museum focuses on pre-20th century European art, sculptures and decorative arts.  At the Getty, I was quite distracted by the amazing architecture and possibly spent more time taking photographs than inside the five museums.  It was a very productive trip nevertheless as the Getty provided many unique photo opportunities.

The Getty Villa

The formal gardens of the villa

I like this pregnant female figure from the early Cycladic period 2700 - 2300 B.C.

And this Squatting Ibis from 300 B.C. - amazing!

Long corridors and a beautiful outdoor amphitheatre 

The Getty Center 

The main building at the Getty Center

The terrace

Panorama from the Center

The cactus garden

One of the five buildings in the complex

 

An architectural feature on a gorgeous stone wall - the perspective changed throughout the day as the sun moved.

As the shadows grew longer, the landscape changed

Downtown L.A. can be seen breaking through the smog

As the sun crept closer to the horizon, it became harder to leave the center...look at the light!  There is a good reason why this is called the golden hour.

The Getty at sunset

This wraps up this past winter's trip to California.  Check back here for more warm weather posts...