A thing of beauty should be a joy forever
When I first visited the J. Paul Getty Museum in Pacific Palisades a few weeks after it opened in 1974, I was appalled. It was supposed to be a replica of a villa in Herculaneum that was destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted. This can’t be! Silly me, I expected ruins!
I quickly got used to it, of course, recognizing that this was the way the villa looked when it was a family residence. I fell in love with the place. I would make frequent visits to enjoy the lovely setting and the tranquility. I would lunch at the tiny, inauspicious tearoom and read a book seated in the portico.
When I heard that changes were to be made, I immediately took a stand in opposition. Why ruin something that was perfect? Well, my fears have been realized. The villa building is wonderful now that all the nonantiquities have been moved to The Getty Center in Brentwood. But the new buildings have taken away the aura of antiquity. Because the villa is set in a canyon, the architects have been forced to build into the hillside. The garage, semi-amphitheater, restaurant, auditorium and indoor theater surround the museum. Elevators and stairs must be used to get around.
I remember how wonderful it was to take the elevator from the parking facilities and suddenly get a clear view of the villa with the marvelous pool in front. It was a breathtaking vista. Now one must use a modern garage building and walk quite a distance to get to the entrance, which is on the side. The new indoor theater, the modern restaurant and gift shop do not fit in with the sense of antiquity. No, I am not pleased with the “modernization” of the Getty museum, now the Getty Villa.
Somehow, with all the money involved, the Getty people manage to muck things up. Whether or not one likes the somewhat sterile structures designed by architect Richard Maier for The Getty Center in Brentwood, one must admit that the original purpose has been aborted. The idea was to exhibit the art works that were being removed from the Getty museum in Pacific Palisades. The villa would house only the impressive collection of Greek and Roman antiquities.
The worst thing about that complex is the exhibit space. The permanent collection of paintings, which has been improved over the years, is housed in a maze on the second floor of a remote building. Nothing shows to advantage. A sign points to the room where the famous Ensor painting is hung because it would be impossible to find without directions. Even worse is the space devoted to traveling exhibits. You must walk through a series of smallish rooms, which get very crowded when an especially popular attraction is on view.
It’s a wonderful place to visit, nonetheless, sited as it is on a mini-mountain with spectacular views. The garden is beautiful and the landscaping spectacular. However, there are all those buildings and not one large museum gallery for the many different art collections that have been accumulated. Why build on a hilltop if most of the buildings are being used for staff?
Now the Getty Trust is being investigated. Was the hilltop location, with an expensive tram, really necessary? Are the additions at the villa just an excuse to spend more money? When a new regime takes over the Getty Trust, perhaps some important changes will be made. I suggest one building in Brentwood be gutted and space arranged so that the art can be exhibited the way it should be.
– Juliet Schoen