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Anne Woollett on “Rembrandt Laughing” Mar 15, 2017

Show notes

In 2007 an English family decided to sell a small painting in their collection: an image of a man laughing with a label featuring the name Rembrandt. The work was initially attributed to a contemporary of Rembrandt, but scholarly analysis and scientific testing determined that it was indeed a Rembrandt. We visit the painting in the Getty Museum’s galleries with Anne Woollett, curator of paintings at the Getty, who reveals the mystery and magic behind this endearing self-portrait by one of the most eminent painters of the Dutch Golden Age.

David Brafman on Alchemy Mar 01, 2017

Show notes

Now recognized as the ancestor of modern chemistry, alchemy is a mysterious and often misunderstood blend of science, philosophy, and spirituality. Alchemists were notorious for making artificial gold, but their impact extended far beyond their desire for noble metals. David Brafman, associate curator of rare books and curator of "The Art of Alchemy" at the Getty Research Institute, discusses how this medieval magic has had an enduring influence on scientific and artistic culture.

Sunil Khilnani on India’s History in Fifty Lives Feb 15, 2017

Show notes

"India's history is a curiously unpeopled place. As usually told it has dynasties, epochs, religions, and castes—but not that many individuals,” Sunil Khilnani writes in his book "Incarnations: India in Fifty Lives." In "Incarnations," also released as a BBC radio series and podcast, Khilnani explores how the lives of fifty Indians across 2,500 years have shaped India’s history as we know it. We hear from Khilnani about a few of these figures, including the Buddha, poet Mirabai, and filmmaker Satyajit Ray. Khilnani is author of "The Idea of India" and professor of politics and director of the India Institute at King’s College, London.

Scott Allan on Manet’s “Jeanne (Spring)” Feb 01, 2017

Show notes

At the Salon of 1882, just one year before his death, Édouard Manet exhibited a painting depicting the actress and model Jeanne Demarsy. This portrait of a chic young woman holding a parasol against a background of lush foliage is viewed as a testament to Manet’s command of color and brushwork, and was one of the few resounding public and critical successes of his career. Scott Allan, associate curator of paintings at the J. Paul Getty Museum, takes us to the Getty’s galleries where the painting is on view and explores the significance of this extraordinary work.

Beyond Boundaries: Visual Culture in the Provinces of Ancient Rome Jan 18, 2017

Show notes

The Roman Empire’s rich and multifaceted visual culture is a manifestation of the sprawling geography of its provinces. In 2011 through the Getty Foundation’s Connecting Art Histories initiative, a group of twenty international scholars began a multi-year research seminar to study, discuss, and ponder the nature and development of art and archaeology in the Roman provinces. Their compelling research resulted in a book titled "Beyond Boundaries: Connecting Visual Cultures in the Provinces of Ancient Rome." Susan Alcock, editor of "Beyond Boundaries" and professor of classical archaeology and classics at the University of Michigan, Jeffrey Spier, senior curator of antiquities, and Ken Lapatin, curator of antiquities, both at the J. Paul Getty Museum, discuss the impact of the seminar and various essays from the resulting publication.

Frank Gehry’s Los Angeles Part 4 Jan 04, 2017

Show notes

In a four-part series, we’ll explore architect Frank Gehry’s Los Angeles and how his practice has evolved during his seventy years as an Angeleno. In this last conversation of the series, Gehry talks about projects, past and present, in three cities: Berlin, New York, and Los Angeles. We learn about his inspiration for the Walt Disney Concert Hall and for a forthcoming performance space in Berlin named after Pierre Boulez. He also recounts the trials and tribulations he encountered while working on projects in New York. And finally, Gehry shares his plans for the redevelopment of a block on the infamous Sunset Strip and the much anticipated L.A. River project.

Giovanni di Paolo’s Branchini Altarpiece Dec 14, 2016

Show notes

In 1427 Renaissance manuscript illuminator and panel painter Giovanni di Paolo completed one of his most important commissions: an altarpiece for the Branchini family chapel in the church of San Domenico in Siena, Italy. The polyptych was disbanded, likely in the fifteenth century. The Getty exhibition "The Shimmer of Gold: Giovanni di Paolo in Renaissance Siena" unites several panels of the remarkable altarpiece for the first time since its dispersal. In this episode, we visit the galleries with Yvonne Szafran, senior painting conservator, Davide Gasparotto, senior curator of paintings, and Bryan Keene, assistant curator of manuscripts, at the J. Paul Getty Museum, who discuss what is depicted in the panels as well as di Paolo’s painting techniques. We also learn about the exciting technical analysis being undertaken that may eventually help to identify other missing panels.

Walter Grasskamp on André Malraux Nov 30, 2016

Show notes

André Malraux, the French novelist, minister of cultural affairs, and art theorist, published his seminal book "Le Musée imaginaire" in the early 1950s. In "The Book on the Floor: André Malraux and the Imaginary Museum," art historian Walter Grasskamp takes Malraux’s work as a launching point to explore Malraux and his contemporary André Vigneau, the early history of the illustrated art book, and how Malraux’s vision for a “museum without walls” anticipated a new approach to art history that was comparative and global in scope. Thomas Gaehtgens, director of the Getty Research Institute, joins the conversation.

The Making of an Exhibition Part 2 Nov 16, 2016

Show notes

In Fall 2017, the Getty will present Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, a regional exploration of Latin American and Latino art in dialogue with Los Angeles. In a three-part series, we hear about the development of one of the Getty exhibitions that is part of this initiative, a show featuring postwar abstract art from Argentina and Brazil from the Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Collection. In this episode, we talk with Pia Gottschaller, senior research specialist at the Getty Conservation Institute, and Andrew Perchuck, deputy director, and Zanna Gilbert, research specialist, of the Getty Research Institute. We focus on the exhibition title, relationship between concrete art and poetry, and cultural context in which these works were made.

Frank Gehry’s Los Angeles Part 3 Nov 02, 2016

Show notes

In a four-part series, we’ll explore architect Frank Gehry’s Los Angeles and how his practice has evolved during his seventy years as an Angeleno. The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao are iconic buildings that redefined Gehry’s work. Gehry recounts his memories of designing and building these complex structures and shares how he became associated with the urban phenomenon known as the Bilbao effect.

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