Recommendations:

Recommendations

Visit the J. Paul Getty Museum J. Paul Getty Museum

I had heard that The Getty Museum, located at 1200 Getty Center Drive in Los Angeles, was wonderful, so I made a plan to visit. Wonderful is an understatement. I had no idea. The Getty is located high in the hills. To get there, we parked in a multi-storied garage and rode up the hillside in a tram. The views on the way up are breathtaking.

At the top of the hill, surrounding a courtyard, are five separate museum buildings. We picked one at random to start, and spent a delightful three hours wandering from building to building, viewing furniture, paintings, and sculptures. And everywhere, we were surrounded by the most stunning views of the hills and the city in the distance.

Four buildings later, followed by a snack in the cafeteria, I was ready to go. My brain was on overload. How could I process any more beauty? How could I look at more art and even absorb what I was seeing? I needed time to process. But we were there, and I live eight hours away. I had no idea when I would be able to return, so I worked up more energy and entered the one building remaining and about fell over.

It was filled with Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, my absolute favorites, and suddenly I was rejuvenated. What is unique about The Getty is that you are permitted to take pictures of the art. Many museums ask you not to, and I respect that. At the Getty, as long as you don’t use a flash, you can take all the pictures you want.

Shop the J. Paul Getty Museum I fell in love with Vincent Van Gogh’s Irises. Now, don’t misunderstand, I love his sunflowers and his landscapes, but in that moment they all paled in comparison to his Irises. I didn’t know I would love them so much, until I stood before them. Van Gogh struggled so much in life, between despair and joy. And his art embodies his joy and exuberance. He sought so long to find his purpose, and I believe he found it in his art. His talent and creativity are an inspiration.

So wanting something tangible, something I could hold in my hand and remember that experience, along with all the pictures I took on my phone, I purchased a mug in the gift shop, of Van Gogh’s Irises.

Recommendation: J. Paul Getty Museum