Los Angeles - J Paul Getty Museum

Antiquarian art

The sculptures still form the most important part of the museum. One of the oldest pieces is a 16in./40cm tall female figure from Cyprus which is almost 4,500 years old, the stylized form of which has a compelling effect. There are a large number of Greek and Roman sculptures, the latter partly in terracotta but mainly in marble, such as the seated man playing the lyre, surrounded by two sirens.

One of the outstanding pieces in the Getty Collection is the marble figure of Hercules, standing almost 6.5ft/2m tall, and dating from the second century AD. This larger than life figure of the hero is holding in its left hand the club with which - according to legend - Hercules slew the Nemean lion, and in its right the lion's hide. If you compare this Hercules with the sculpture of the "Victorious Athlete" dating from the early period of the Olympic Games (4th or 3rd c. BC.), you will see that the athlete's left arm is hanging down, while his right points to his laurel wreath.

Only a few bronzes of this kind are still preserved. There are also several portrait statues and statuettes from the Roman period. Some well- preserved Greek terracotta vessels, some still gloriously colorful (vases, amphora and so-called craters), are to be found in one gallery.

There are scarcely any paintings remaining from ancient times, because the material on which they were painted wasted away over thousands of years. In the dry air of the Egyptian desert, however, portraits of mummies painted on wood have been preserved, as they were placed in the linen wrappings of the mummy. One example is the true to nature portrait of a woman (Romo-Egyptian). Other less impressive paintings can be seen on the shrines and sarcophagi. A further gallery houses antique silver and gold work.

Decorative art

Most of the examples of decorative art at the J Paul Getty Museum come from France; of the richly-decorated furniture, that which stands out is a cabinet, probably made for King Louis XIV, above the door of which is a bronze medallion of the monarch surrounded by military trophies. Of the porcelain items, special mention should be made of a basket from the Sèvres porcelain factory.

Drawings, decorative art

Also worthy of attention are the sketches displayed on the upper floor, including works by Dürer and Hans Baldung (known as Grien), Raphael, del Sarto, Veronese, Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin and Watteau.

Manuscripts

It was not until 1983 that the Getty Museum first began to collect illuminated manuscripts from the time before the art of printing books had been developed. Nevertheless, it has already amassed a considerable collection, as witness the German, French, Italian and British exhibits on the upper floor. Almost all the manuscripts emanate from the purchase of the Louis Collection from Aachen.

Paintings

Even though Getty never showed any particular interest in buying paintings, he nevertheless purchased in the thirties a whole range of important works by Rembrandt (including the "Old Man in Armour"), Jan Steen, Jacob Ruysdael, one of the forty remaining paintings by Georges de la Tour, a Goya, a Gainsborough, two paintings from the Rogier van der Weyden school (including a "Descent from the Cross"), two Corots and works by the French impressionists Pissarro, Monet and Degas; there are also works by the post-impressionists Gauguin and the forerunner of the Art Nouveau style, Toulouse-Lautrec.

There are scarcely any paintings remaining from ancient times, because the material on which they were painted wasted away over thousands of years. In the dry air of the Egyptian desert, however, portraits of mummies painted on wood have been preserved, as they were placed in the linen wrappings of the mummy. One example is the true to nature portrait of a woman (Romo-Egyptian). Other less impressive paintings can be seen on the shrines and sarcophagi. A further gallery houses antique silver and gold work.

Photographic collection

The photographic collection is distinguished by the numerous original prints from the 1840s. The two oldest photographs in this collection, some of which are by unknown photographers, date back to 1841. In addition to others from the 19th c., there are also numerous examples of work by photographers from the present day such as Man Ray, Imogene Cunningham, Walker Evans and the German August Sander.

The Sculpture and works of art collection at the J Paul Getty Museum features a collection that spans the period from the Middle Ages to the end of the last century. There are works by Bernini, Rodan and Cellini.

One of the highlights of the collection is Pier Jacopo Antico's Bust of Marcus Aurelius. Visitors will not want to miss Cellini's Satyr from around 1542.

One of the oldest pieces is a 16in/40cm tall female figure from Cyprus which is almost 4,500 years old, the stylized form of which has a compelling effect. There are a large number of Greek and Roman sculptures, the latter partly in terracotta but mainly in marble, such as the seated man playing the lyre, surrounded by two sirens.

One of the outstanding pieces in the Getty Collection is the marble figure of Hercules, standing almost 6.5ft/2m tall, and dating from the second century AD. This larger than life figure of the hero is holding in its left hand the club with which - according to legend - Hercules slew the Nemean lion, and in its right the lion's hide. If you compare this Hercules with the sculpture of the "Victorious Athlete" dating from the early period of the Olympic Games (fourth or third century BC.), you will see that the athlete's left arm is hanging down, while his right points to his laurel wreath.

Only a few bronzes of this kind are still preserved. There are also several portrait statues and statuettes from the Roman period. Some well- preserved Greek terracotta vessels, some still gloriously colorful (vases, amphora and so-called craters), are to be found in one gallery.