A Piece of Ancient Italy in SoCal

Over the weekend, I finally had the opportunity to visit the Getty Villa in Malibu. While I've been to the Getty Center numerous times and love that museum, I'd never been to the Malibu location, not even prior to the renovation. So, as you can imagine, I was very excited about this visit. And the Villa certainly did not disappoint. Set in a spectacular hillside location overlooking the sparkling Pacific, this replica of a first-century Roman country house offered an intimate, unique experience. In some ways, it was like stepping into a different time and place. The architecture and landscaping followed the Roman ideals of symmetry and axial design. Even all the plants in the various gardens were species that existed in first-century Rome. The setting provided the perfect backdrop for the exhibits dedicated to the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria.

At the same time, there persisted the feeling of hushed reverence and immaculately clean quality associated with modern high-tech museums. The harmonious combination of past and present created a sense of peace and wonder that permeated my tour of the grounds and galleries. For its pure beauty and deceptive simplicity, the Getty Villa is truly a museum not to be missed.

The museum's main entrance.

View from one corner of the inner peristyle.

View of the pool in the outer peristyle.
I love how the pool seems to extend to the ocean beyond.

View from the western end of the outer peristyle.

Glass cameo art depicting Andromache.
(In Greek mythology, she was the wife of the Trojan hero Hector.)

A review of Classical columns:
Doric (left), Ionic (center), and Corinthian (right).
I think I like the Ionic columns best.

Fountain sculpture of a satyr riding a wineskin.
This was the funniest sculpture I saw. Doesn't it look like the satyr is riding a turkey as if it were a Harley?

North colonnade of the outer peristyle.