ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Eight Must-See Highlights at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles

exhibition · 2026-07-07

The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles houses a collection of European masterpieces spanning centuries. Key highlights include Vincent van Gogh's 'Irises' (1889), painted at the Saint-Rémy asylum, with pigments that have faded from violet to blue. Rembrandt's 'The Abduction of Europa' (1632) reimagines a Greek myth as a northern seascape. Jacopo Pontormo's 'Portrait of a Halberdier' (c. 1528) was acquired by the Getty in 1989 for $35.2 million, a record for an Old Master painting. J.M.W. Turner's 'Modern Rome – Campo Vaccino' (1839) was painted from memory. Jean-Honoré Fragonard's 'The Fountain of Love' (c. 1785) was created near the end of the Rococo period. Gian Lorenzo Bernini's 'Bust of Pope Paul V' (1621) showcases his early talent. Pierre-Auguste Renoir's 'La Promenade' (1870) captures early Impressionism before the Franco-Prussian War. Robert Irwin's Central Garden, designed in the 1990s, features over 500 plant varieties and a floating azalea maze. The Getty Villa in Malibu, modeled on an ancient Roman villa, houses the original collection.

Key facts

  • Vincent van Gogh's 'Irises' (1889) was painted at the Saint-Rémy asylum.
  • The pigments in 'Irises' have faded over time; flowers were originally more violet than blue.
  • Rembrandt's 'The Abduction of Europa' (1632) turns a Greek myth into a northern seascape.
  • Pontormo's 'Portrait of a Halberdier' (c. 1528) was acquired by the Getty in 1989 for $35.2 million.
  • Turner's 'Modern Rome – Campo Vaccino' (1839) was painted from memory.
  • Fragonard's 'The Fountain of Love' (c. 1785) was created near the end of the Rococo period.
  • Bernini's 'Bust of Pope Paul V' (1621) was sculpted when he was in his 20s.
  • Renoir's 'La Promenade' (1870) was finished just before the Franco-Prussian War.
  • Robert Irwin's Central Garden was designed in the 1990s and contains over 500 plant varieties.
  • The Getty Villa in Malibu is modeled on an ancient Roman villa.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

Locations

  • Los Angeles
  • United States
  • Saint-Rémy
  • France
  • Rome
  • Italy
  • Malibu
  • Pacific

Sources