J. Paul Getty Museum

On Saturday (June 9, 2012), Rohit and Rita took us to the J. Paul Getty Museum (http://www.getty.edu/museum/) in Los Angeles, CA.

The Museum is located on a hill. It is accessed by a tram, which whisks visitors away from the 7-story underground parking structure, all the way up to the main buildings.Architecturally as well as aesthetically, the complex is an impressive group of buildings.

Besides the exhibit galleries, it has a café, and a restaurant.

Sprinklers, pools, sculptures, a garden...

...and plants are also there

Its location offers spectacular views of the surrounding area, including....

the Century City and...

...the Interstate 405.

There is no admission fee and the parking charge is only S15 for all day. Therefore, the Museum offers people cheap access to fine arts.

In addition, on Saturdays, there is free outdoor music and entertainment...

...which make the Museum an attractive place fofor families to spend the whole day.

It turned out to be a nice day. It was sunny and bright, with blue skies all around. And a cool breeze moderated the heat.

The museum had a special exhibition, “Heaven, Hell, and Dying Well.” It is a collection of illuminated European manuscripts and panel paintings from the Middle Ages, which illustrate the hopes and fears of people then concerning death and afterlife. The texts included relevant rituals and prayers.

The poster was based on a 16th century painting entitled, “Denise Poncher Before a Vision of Death.”

The exhibits depicted promise of God’s mercy, resurrection, and entry to the paradise for “good” Christians and assured damnation to the netherworld for the sinners.

One painting illustrated the separation of the sinners from the “Good Christians.”

Another revealed the reaction of three men and their horse as they confront three figures of the dead.

The museum also has a sizable permanent collection of among other things, European paintings, and sculptures.

Among the paintings what caught my eye was “Suicide.” One interesting feature of the former was depiction in its top corners were scenes of the Birth of Eve, and Expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Heaven.

Also there was painting by F. Solimena. It depicted Aurora at every dawn leaving her human lover Tithonus.

The sculptures included Venus with Cupid,...

Venus Reclining on a Sea Goat,...

Jupiter Hurling Thunderbolts, and...

Apollo Crowning Himself.

But I was more impressed by a 17th century piece by GF Susini entitled “Abduction of Helen by Paris”,...

and two pieces by the 18th century sculptor MS Benzi, one showing Andromeda Frightened by the Sea Monster, and...

Leda Seduced by Jupiter as Swan.

On the way back, we stopped for dinner at a restaurant in Little India, on Pioneer Blvd, in Artesia, CA.

All in all it turned out to be a good day!