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| Grand Entrance |
J. Paul Getty (1892 – 1976), oilman, founded the Getty oil company (now Texaco), and was listed as the richest American in 1957. He was an avid collector of art and antiquities. His personal collection grew to such a size that in 1954 he added a wing onto his Pacific Pallisades home just to house it.
Getty established the Getty Trust in 1953, which to this day is the world’s wealthiest trust for the arts. At his death, he was worth $2 billion, and bequeathed his personal collection as well as additional $661 million to the museum.
This $1.3 billion center was opened in 1997. The architecture, gardens and views (overlooking L.A. and the Pacific Ocean) are as beautiful as the art curated within the walls. During construction, the Northridge earthquake struck, and architectural plans were changed to include retrofits. The massive buildings could now withstand a 7.5 earthquake.
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| Degas – a ballerina and an old woman waiting at a bus stop |
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| Outside sculpture gardens in the afternoon winter sun |
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