Getty Villa

Infobox Museum
name = Getty Villa

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established = 1974, reopened 2006
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location = 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, California
type = art museum
visitors =
director = Michael Brand
curator =
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website = http://www.getty.edu/ The Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, California, USA, 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 Villa is frequently and erroneously said to be in the city of Malibu, but most of the site is actually in the city of Los Angeles in the wealthy community of Pacific Palisades. In fact, the Malibu city border does not begin for another mile west of the Villa. The museum itself perpetuates this error, to the irritation of Palisades residents. [Jaffe, Matthew. [http://www.sunset.com/sunset/travel/article/0,20633,1608688,00.html Posh Pacific Palisades.] "Sunset" magazine, May 2007. Retrieved September 3, 2008.]

History

Oil tycoon J. Paul Getty originally opened a gallery adjacent to his home in Pacific Palisades. Finding that he quickly ran out of room, he decided to open a second museum on the property (his original home still sits at the back of the property). In 1974, Getty opened the Getty Villa as his second museum in a re-creation of the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum, incorporating additional details from several other ancient sites. In 1997 the museum's collection was moved to the Getty Center in nearby Brentwood and the Palisades museum, renamed the "Getty Villa", was closed for renovation.

Reopened on January 28, 2006, the Getty Villa once again holds Greek and Roman sculptures housed in the interim at the Getty Center. The Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities are arranged by themes including "Gods and Goddesses", "Dionysos and the Theater" and "Stories of the Trojan War", housed within Roman-inspired architecture and surrounded by Roman-style gardens. The new architectural plan surrounding the Villa is designed to simulate an archaeological dig.

There has been controversy surrounding the Greek and Italian governments' claim that objects in the collection were looted and should be repatriated. In 2006 the Getty returned or promised to return four looted objects to Greece: a stele (grave marker), a marble relief, a gold funerary wreath, and a marble statue. [Carassava, Anthee. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/12/arts/design/12gett.html Greeks Hail Getty Museum’s Pledge to Return Treasures.] "New York Times", December 12, 2006. Retrieved September 3, 2008.] In 2007, the Getty signed an agreement to return 40 looted items to Italy. [Povoledo, Elisabetta. [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/arts/design/26gett.html Italy and Getty Sign Pact on Artifacts.] "New York Times", September 26, 2007. Retrieved September 3, 2008.]

Location and admission

The museum is located at:

: 17985 Pacific Coast Highway: Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 USA

Admission to the Getty Villa is free but timed tickets must be obtained in advance via phone or the museum's website. There is a $10.00 charge for parking (as of September 9, 2008). The museum is open Thursday to Monday, 10 am to 5 pm. It is closed Tuesday, Wednesday and on New Year's Day (January 1), July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas (December 25).

GettyGuide

Detailed information about the J. Paul Getty Museum’s collection at the Getty Villa is provided on GettyGuide, a suite of interactive multimedia tools available at the Museum and on its website, Getty.edu. At the GettyGuide stations in the Museum, visitors can get information about exhibitions, play with an interactive timeline, watch videos on art-making techniques, and other activities. The GettyGuide audio player at the Museum features commentary from curators and conservators on over 300 works of art. Users of the online GettyGuide can browse the Museum’s collections and bookmark works of art to create a customized tour and printable map. [ [http://www.getty.edu/visit/see_do/gettyguide.html GettyGuide™ - Getty.edu] Retrieved September 3, 2008.]

Photographs

References

See also

* Getty Center
* Getty Conservation Institute
* Getty Foundation
* Getty Research Institute
* J. Paul Getty Museum
* J. Paul Getty Trust

External links

* [http://www.getty.edu/ J. Paul Getty Trust official website]
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/51265280@N00/sets// Photos from the Getty Villa]
* [http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Getty+Villa&m=tags&ct=6&ss=2&s=int flickr.com photos tagged with "Getty Villa"]