Press Materials

Photographers often record change through images in series, registering transformations in the world around them. Artists featured in the exhibition photographed faces and places over minutes, months, or years. Historical and contemporary photographs prompt reflection on the ways the passage of time impacts how we see people and spaces. Curated by Mazie Harris.

The Getty Villa is modeled on the Villa dei Papiri at Herculaneum. Buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, the ancient villa was rediscovered and explored by subterranean tunnels in the 1750s and '60s again in the 1990s and early 2000s. It has yielded spectacular colored marble and mosaic floors, frescoed walls, a large collection of bronze and marble statuary, and a library of more than a thousand papyrus scrolls. This exhibition presents rare original artifacts and traces attempts to unroll and decipher the carbonized papyri.

A vast throng of animals tumble, soar, and race through the pages of the bestiary, a popular medieval book describing the beasts of the world. Abounding with vibrant and fascinating images, the bestiary brought creatures to life before the eyes of readers. The beasts also often escaped from its pages to inhabit a glittering array of other objects. With over 100 works on display, this major loan exhibition will transport visitors into the world of the medieval bestiary. Curated by Elizabeth Morrison.

On assignment to document poverty in Brazil for Life magazine, American photographer Gordon Parks encountered one of the most important subjects of his career: Flávio da Silva. Parks featured the resourceful, ailing boy from an impoverished Rio favela (Portuguese for shantytown) and his family in the heart-rending 1961 photo essay “Freedom’s Fearful Foe.” It resulted in donations from Life readers but sparked controversy in Brazil. This exhibition explores the celebrated photo essay, tracing the extraordinary chain of events it triggered and Parks’ representation of Flávio over several decades. Curated by Amanda Maddox.  

To commemorate the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death (on May 2nd, 1519 in Amboise, France), the Getty Museum is placing on view the two rare drawings by the master from its collection. Incorporating draft studies for paintings, sculpture, machinery, and human physiognomy, along with his characteristic “mirror-writing,” the two sheets present a fascinating glimpse into the mind of this celebrated Renaissance polymath. Curated by Julian Brooks.

The cosmos—full of shining stars and orbiting planets—inspired study and devotion among scientists, theologians, and artists alike during the Middle Ages. The belief in angels, demons, and spirits moreover materialized in wondrous works of art, especially on the pages of illuminated manuscripts. Awe-inspiring cosmic phenomena informed every aspect of one’s physical, mental, and spiritual well-being in the premodern world. This exhibition invites you to explore the complexity of the celestial realm in medieval European faith and science traditions. Curated by Bryan C. Keene.