“Antiquity and Photography: Early Views of Ancient
Mediterranean Sites” Through May 1 This exhibition
occupies the largest temporary gallery space and features mid-19th
century photographs of some of the most famous ancient monuments in
Italy, Greece and the Holy Land. The Getty collection is known for
its extensive collection of photographs, and without exception,
“Antiquity and Photography” also offers some gems to
its audience. In particular, the exhibit highlights the
groundbreaking work of French photographer Joseph-Philibert Girault
de Prangey, which resulted in the earliest surviving photographic
views of ancient classical sites, dating back to 1842. Although the
pictures of classical monuments are beautiful (especially
photographer William Stillman’s shots of the Erechtheion),
views of Egypt and the Holy Land steal the show. On the wall
alongside some of these works, photographer Maxime du Camp
describes his experience of seeing the fabled Egyptian Sphinx for
the first time: “I am pale, my legs trembling. I cannot ever
remember having been moved so deeply.” Indeed, the
photographers’ awe at these sights is tangibly translated
into their pictures. Photographer Francis Firth is especially
effective at capturing the vastness of the Giza and Dahshur
pyramids, by including native Egyptians alongside the landmarks.
This artistic decision also emphasizes the distinction between the
ancient and modern worlds, and consequently addresses the state of
the viewer as they are displayed in a museum.
“The Getty Villa Reimagined” Through May
8 The name of the exhibit aptly sums up its contents: It
offers a time line of the villa’s extensive renovation
process, displaying sketches from several architects vying for the
project, including the winning design of Machado and Silvetti
Associates. The exhibit also features a scale model of the entire
villa grounds and gives viewers a taste of the work that went into
determining each design element of the villa, such as the entry
pavilion, walls and floors of the villa itself, signs, exhibition
furniture and lighting of individual galleries. The strongest
aspects of the exhibit by far are the video elements, which include
interviews with architects and construction companies, as well as
photographs of sites from around the world that provided
inspiration for the renovation process. The photographs include
residences and landmarks in Beaulieu-sur-mer, France; Tivoli,
Italy; Rome and Pompeii, among others. This approach is likely
insightful and helpful for those who remember the Getty Villa prior
to its renovation. But many museum-goers may feel dissatisfied with
the lack of reference to the original villa. The exhibit remarkably
showed little to no comparison between the original and renovated
villas, instead documenting the villa renovation as an independent
process. Maybe we’re a generation too attuned to television
shows such as “Extreme Makeover” or “Trading
Spaces,” but it seems that some “before” and
“after” clips would have been interesting and
insightful.
“Molten Color: Glassmaking in Antiquity”
Through July 24 To celebrate its recent acquisition of
over 350 pieces of ancient glass from the collection of Erwin
Oppenlander, the Getty Villa presents over 180 of these works in
the temporary exhibition “Molten Color.” Each piece is
separated into a group based on its method of creation, including
core-formed, mosaic, cast, mold-blown and free-blown glass. These
techniques are all visually demonstrated in short video clips
alongside the display cases. Quite simply, the glass is
spectacular. Many of the pieces, especially the extensive range of
perfume flasks, are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand
(although they look so delicate that you’d be afraid to crush
them if they were). Some of the pieces on display are fragments of
larger work, but are unbelievably intricate and complex, with
dramatic swirls of vibrant color. Even more impressive are the
bowls and cups molded into animal shapes, including birds, a mouse
and fish. The works are so elaborately designed that it’s
hard to believe they were originally created for function. But
indeed, the cups and bowls were used for everyday dining and the
flasks were filled with ink or perfume; they were even tied around
a person’s neck to be available at all times. This exhibition
marks the first time many of these pieces have even been seen in
North America, and you’ll be glad you took the time to see
them.