Getty Center Visit (2 of 2)

Getty Center Visit  (2 of 2)

A courtyard inside the Getty Center complex

After an excursion, I always find it revealing to look back at what I chose to photograph. On this trip to the Getty Center, I was clearly captivated by the architecture of the museum; its exterior and interior...

The Getty collection includes work from a wide range of time frames and art movements.

 

 

 

left: Portrait of Jeanne Kéfer, by Belgian artist Fernand Khnopff

right: Chromatic Rhythms III by Alfredo Hlito, Argentine

It is always cool when you can find such disparate images as these two paintings in the same museum. However, I place them side-by-side here to point out their similarities. Notice the structure on which these artists placed their images. Though they had very different perspectives/approaches which are reflected in the subject matter of their paintings, there is an underlying grid of horizontal and vertical lines in both of these square canvases.

The work on the left was painted in 1885, the one on the right was painted in 1949; less than 100 years separate them. But just think of everything that history had in store between those dates. Events that would change how people saw the world, reacted to it all, and inevitably expressed themselves in their creative endeavors. Now we have the advantage of appreciating them both for their uniqueness and their contribution to the world of art.

And, as you may have gathered from my posts of sky photos, I'm always captivated by what is happening on the horizon. So, I felt a definite connection with Flemish artist Simon Denis and this work Study of Clouds with a Sunset Near Rome, (painted between 1786 & 1801.) 

 

At present the Getty Center is closed due to the current pandemic restrictions. Like most museums they are working to connect with patrons by making their collections accessible and relevant to the public on line, and through regular emails, and podcasts. You can get more information on this great source of inspiration at this link: https://www.getty.edu/art/

Hopefully, the Getty Center plaza will be filled with bustling visitor activity in the near future. Until then, how fortunate we are to have the technology to keep us connected to the resources at museums everywhere. 

   

The plaza at Getty Center