Press Releases

The written word was an art form in the premodern world. Calligraphers filled the pages of manuscripts with scrolling vines and delicate pen flourishes, and illuminators depicted captivating narratives within large letterforms. These decorative embellishments reveal the monetary, cultural, and spiritual value placed on handmade books at the time. The alphabetic adornments in this exhibition enliven the content of a range of manuscripts—including sacred scripture, romance literature, and history—produced from England to Ethiopia over nearly one thousand years. Curated by Bryan C. Keene and Katherine Sedovic.

Comprising spectacular drawings from the Getty collection and rarely-seen works from private collections, this exhibition reveals the detective work involved in investigating master drawings. Many Italian Renaissance drawings tell stories of their creation and the purposes they served, yet sometimes even the most seemingly simple question – who drew it? – is a mystery. Discover what we know and don’t know, what we’d like to know, and what we may never discover about these intriguing works of art and their world. Curated by Julian Brooks and Jamie Kwan.