GETTY VILLA MALIBU

The Getty Villa in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA (though its self-claimed location is in the city of Malibu, California^[2]), is one of two locations of the J. Paul Getty Museum. The Getty Villa is an educational center and museum dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria. The collection has 44,000 Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities dating from 6,500 BC to 400 AD, including the Lansdowne Heracles and the Victorious Youth. The UCLA/Getty Master’s Program in Archaeological and Ethnographic Conservation is housed on this campus. The collection is documented and presented through the online GettyGuide as well as through audio tours.
 
HISTORY

In 1954, oil tycoon J. Paul Getty opened a gallery adjacent to his home in Pacific Palisades.^[3][4][5] Quickly running out of room, he built a second museum, the Getty Villa, on the property down the hill from the original gallery.^[4][6] The villa design was inspired by the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum^[6] and incorporated additional details from several other ancient sites. It was designed by architects Robert E. Langdon, Jr. and Ernest C. Wilson, Jr..^[7][8] It opened in 1974,^[9] but was never visited by Getty, who died in 1976.^[5] Following his death, the museum inherited $661 million^[10] and began planning a much larger campus, the Getty Center, in nearby Brentwood. The museum overcame neighborhood opposition to its new campus plan by agreeing to limit the total size of the development on the Getty Center site.^[11] To meet the museum's total space needs, the museum decided to split between the two locations with the Getty Villa housing the Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities.^[11] In 1993, the Getty Trust selected Rodolpho Machado and Jorge Silvetti to design the renovation of the Getty Villa and its campus.^[11] In 1997, portions of the museum's collection of Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities were moved to the Getty Center for display, and the Getty Villa was closed for renovation.^[12] The collection was restored during the renovation.^[9]

A Roman Villa Recreated—early 1970s

The Getty Villa is modeled after a first-century Roman country house, the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, Italy.
The building was constructed in the early 1970s by architects who worked closely with J. Paul Getty to develop the interior and exterior details.

Buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79, much of the Villa dei Papiri remains unexcavated. Therefore, architects based many of the Museum's architectural and landscaping details on elements from other ancient Roman houses in the towns of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae.
Gardens are integral to the setting of the Getty Villa, as they were in the ancient Roman home, and include herbs and shrubs inspired by those grown in ancient Roman homes for food and ceremony.

The Getty Villa Reimagined—1996

Renovation of the Getty Villa began in 1996. Visitors now start their visit in a spectacular open-air Entry Pavilion, then progress along a scenic pathway to the heart of the site. With each building at a slightly different elevation, visitors experience the site as an archaeological excavation, every perspective offering new discoveries.

Visitors' first view of the Villa is through the Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater. This 500-seat outdoor classical theater was also created based on ancient prototypes, and links the Cafe, Museum Store, and Auditorium to the J. Paul Getty Museum entrance.

The renovation incorporated modern designs that harmonize with the Getty Villa's original style. Wood, bronze, glass, travertine, and wood-formed concrete echo the Villa's materials. In addition to the Entry Pavilion, a new staircase was installed, and galleries were renovated with details inspired by Roman and modern models. Skylights and windows were installed to fill the space with light.

 

Antiquities in the J. Paul Getty Museum Collection

The Getty Villa houses the J. Paul Getty Museum's collection of approximately 44,000 Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities. Over 1,200 works are on view in 23 galleries devoted to the permanent collection, with five additional galleries for changing exhibitions.
With objects dating from 6,500 B.C. to A.D. 400, the collection contains monumental sculptures as well as artifacts of everyday life.
 

Galleries

The galleries are arranged by theme and include Gods and Goddesses, Dionysos and the Theater, and Stories of the Trojan War, among others. This approach enables visitors to view the artworks in the context of their use in classical societies, encouraging a deeper understanding of the ancient world.

 Exhibitions and Collection

 

The Permanent Collection of the Getty Villa is comprised of approximately 44,000 Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities; more than 1,200 items are on exhibit in 23 galleries.  There is also a small collection of Cycladic objects, dating from 3000-2200 BCE.

 Many of the galleries are arranged by themes, including Women and Children in Antiquity, Stories of the Trojan War, Monsters and Minor Deities, and Wine in Antiquity.

 The Villa is frequently and erroneously said to be in the city of Malibu,^[12][20] but the site is in the city of Los Angeles in the community of Pacific Palisades and has a Pacific Palisades mailing address.^[21][22] The Malibu city border begins a mile west of the Villa.^[23] The museum itself perpetuates this error,^[24] to the irritation of Palisades residents.^[25]