Saturday, October 14, 2006

Visiting the Villa

The Getty Villa reopened to the public in late Spring. Closed for renovation when most of its collections were moved to the new Getty Center, it now serves as a research center and is home to the museum's Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities.
As with the Center, the main attraction of the Villa is its architecture and gardens. Originally inspired by Villa Parisi, an ancient Roman villa and J. Paul Getty's dream, it has been beautifully restored with exquisite craftsmanship and materials imported from Italy. Slight Schadenfreude: the outside statues are replicas, and it shows.
Above and below: views of the outer and inner peristyles.
Detail of mosaïc floor, banister, and trompe-l'oeil.
The gardens have a feel of peace and zen, with carefully designed shrubbery and flower beds, water music, interplays of sun and shade, and impromptu seating areas. An atmosphere reminiscent of the Jardins du Palais-Royal in Paris.
It doesn't hurt that the Villa sits on a canyon overlooking the Malibu bay. An altogether refreshing, resourcing escapade.
photos: #1 Google Images/others LA Frog

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