The Getty

My Santa Monica appointment ended early, and I was heading back to the SGV via the 405. Once I saw the little white tram coming down the hill, I decided that a visit to The Getty was on the horizon.

As it was way past lunch time, my first stop was the Café. One of the specials was a grilled gouda ciabatta with garlic frites, inspired by the Rembrandt exhibit per the sign on the counter. I took the bait, and it was delish! After devouring the wheel of warm gouda, CD-sized fluffy bread and double-dutch order of fries, it was time to see the galleries that inspired my meal.

Drawings by Rembrandt & His Pupils: Telling the Difference was fascinating. Rembrandt's illustrations were paired with his students' work of the same subject. Until recently, scholars thought the student work was actually Rembrandt's, and this show points out the differences in the styles and techniques. I was inspired by his use of the "Wite-Out" option of his day, and the reworking and redrawing of some of his pieces. It was as if he corrected his errors and kept going, not quitting or scrapping his accomplishments, and it all turned out just fine.

My next stop was to see The Medieval Scriptorium exhibit. To summarize, it was the Complete Idiot's guide to illuminated manuscripts. I learned that illuminated meant painted in the Middle Ages. Some illuminated manuscripts were how-to books, so the pictures had to make the instructions easy to follow. Other manuscripts told a story, and artists had to come up with new ways to illustrate. Some artists had to create images of things that they had never seen. Imagine painting an picture of an alligator if you'd only heard it described! In another example, we see where an artist had only a small space to tell a story, and how the main character appeared twice in the image to show the progressing events. Excellent use of what was available.

Finally, I had to see van Gogh's Irises while I was in the 'hood. Irises is one of my faves. He was in an asylum when this was painted. Even while deeply depressed, he created this beautiful image.

While taking the tram back down the hill, I realized my visit was all about making the most of what you have. Rembrandt and his redone drawings, illuminated manuscript artists optimizing what little space they had to tell their stories, and Vincent thinking that painting could keep him sane. Wow! And it all started just by seeing the little tram that could.

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