BGuthrie Photos: CA -- Los Angeles -- Getty Center -- Rooms

CA -- Los Angeles -- Getty Center -- Rooms:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. GCENRM_150707_003.JPG: The Secret Tour starts here. www.getty.edu/secret
2. GCENRM_150707_007.JPG: Renaissance Art in Italy and Northern Europe 1450=1600 "Some people adorn their houses with antiquities, such as heads, torsos, busts, and antique statues -- of marble or of bronze." -- Sabba di Castiglione (Italian, 1485-1554), from his "I recordi" (1560), a book book about the decoration of a gentleman's mansion Italy is commonly regarded as the birthplace of the Renaissance. During this period a fascination for classical sculpture, architectural and ornamental forms, and mythology was reflected in the work of Italian artists. A similar interest also developed in France and other parts of northern Europe through royal patronage, traveling Italian artists, and the transmission of images and designs via drawings and prints. Patrons and collectors commissioned art in a classical style for their public and private rooms. The rich visual vocabulary of classical art was reflected in bronze sculpture, paintings that illustrated mythology, glazed ceramics, and the ornamental language of domestic furniture.
3. GCENRM_150707_016.JPG: Pair of Drug Jars, about 1580 Attributed to Annibale Fontana
4. GCENRM_150707_036.JPG: Covered Goblet with Cupid, 1631 Marcus Heiden
5. GCENRM_150707_046.JPG: Collecting in Northern Europe 1450-1600 "[The ideal museum is] a theater of the broadest scope, containing authentic materials and precise reproductions of the whole of the universe." -- Samuel Quiccheberg (Flemish, 1529-1567), consultant with Duke Albrecht V of Bavaria, in his 1560 treatise "Inscriptions of the Most Complete Theater" (in Latin), a guide for the arrangement of encyclopedic princely collections The development of art north of the Alps followed a different path from that in Italy. It was less dependent on classical prototypes and combined historical artistic traditions with innovative styles. The production of art depended on a new class of collector and patron. In addition to imperial and princely clients, a burgeoning middle and mercantile class rose to power in the 1550s in Germany, notably in Nuremberg and Augsburg. Although they are depicted in sober dress in their portraits, this group of patrons actively employed sculptors, painters, goldsmiths, ivory carvers, and stained-glass designers -- a testament to their status, education, and refined taste. Objects of high aesthetic achievement were often displayed in cabinets of magnificent craftsmanship in rooms called Kunst- und Wunderkammern (art and curiosity cabinets), as shown in the above reproduction.
6. GCENRM_150707_052.JPG: Covered Goblet with Mythoological Scenes, about 1680 Bathasar Griessmann
7. GCENRM_150707_082.JPG: Section of a Tile Floor with Coats of Arms, about 1425-50 The tiles around the shields are painted with spiritual advice, translating as: "Have hope" and "Do not forget".
8. GCENRM_150707_095.JPG: Sacred Art 1150-1600 "We should also serve God with the external ornaments of sacred vessels, in all internal purity and in all external nobility." -- Abbot Suger (French, about 1081-1151), the abbot of Saint-Denis in Paris, from his twelfth-century treatise "Book of Sugar, Abbot of Saint-Denis on What Was Done during His Administration" (in French). During the medieval and Renaissance periods, the vast majority of European art was created for religious instruction and devotion. Christ and the Virgin were the most frequently depicted Christian subjects. In addition, the cult of saints -- holy men and women who acted as intercessors for the believer's soul during the Last Judgment -- played a primary role in European culture. Precious materials were chosen for sacred objects used in religious services or placed on church and domestic altars. Small-scale works were created for private devotion. The group of extraordinarily fashioned objects in this gallery, which features stained glass, paintings, and sculpture, evokes a late-medieval church treasury.
9. GCENRM_150707_100.JPG: European Glass and Ceramics 1400-1700 "Considering the short life [of glass] due to its fragility, ... one must use it and understand it as an example of the life of man and of the things of this world, which, though beautiful, are transitory and frail." -- Vannoccio Biringuccio (Italian, 1480-about 1539) in his "De la pirotechnia" (Venice, 1540), a manual on metalworking Tremendous technological developments in glass and ceramic decoration occurred in the Islamic Middle East between about 800 and 1350. What had been examples of craft became world-class art forms. The promotion of active trade around the Mediterranean and the growth of a new affluent and urban European middle class led to the increasing popularity of elaborate tableware and containers. By the 1400s, Italian artists adapted these styles and techniques into their own works of art. Italian wares were soon transported to cities throughout Europe, inspiring local production and stimulating trade. At the same time, social organization in Europe was changing from a rural, feudal system to a mercantile one. More people became part of a growing middle class, who lived in urban centers and had increasing spending power. They enjoyed the luxury of eating and drinking with stylish vessels rather than from shared wooden platters or crude metal or pottery beakers.
10. GCENRM_150707_102.JPG: Joke Glass, 1600s This figure looked like a character from Richard Thompson's comics.
11. GCENRM_150707_142.JPG: Louis XIV and Versailles: From the beginning of Louis XIV's personal rule in 1661 until his death in 1715, all the arts were employed to glorify the king and his realm. The supreme accomplishment of the reign was the enlargement of the palace and gardens of Versailles, just southwest of Paris. The leading artists of the day were commissioned to provide designs and work for these monumental interiors marked by the extensive use of marble, carved and gilded wood, expensive textiles, sculpture, and painted murals and ceilings that reflected the wealth and grandeur of the monarch. Colorful and precious materials were not just used on the walls but were also incorporated into the extraordinary furnishings made for these formal rooms that served as elaborate settings for the pageantry of the court.
12. GCENRM_150707_150.JPG: Louis XIV and Furniture: During the 1660s, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV's minister of finance, took over the Gobelins manufactory on behalf of the Crown. This was a sprawling complex of artists' workshops in Paris whose official title became the Manufacture Royale des Meubles de la Couronne (Royal Factory of Furniture to the Crown). Its first director, the painter Charles Le Brun, orchestrated numerous craftsmen, including tapestry weavers, painters, sculptors, bronze workers, furniture makers, hardstone carvers, and gold- and silversmiths who supplied objects exclusively for the king's palaces or as royal gifts. Every object produced was of the highest quality possible and set the standard for aristocratic taste that would be followed throughout much of Europe.
13. GCENRM_150707_156.JPG: Tapestries for the Comte de Toulouse: The tapestries on display in this gallery all came from a series known as The Story of the Emperor of China, one of the most popular designs produced at the Beauvais tapestry works. As part of a constant effort to promote French industry, Louis XIV's administration founded the manufactory in 1664. Although subsidized by the state, Beauvais was a private enterprise that made tapestries for the nobility and wealthy bourgeoisie. This set, originally comprising ten hangings, was commissioned by the legitimized son of Louis XIV, Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse (1678-1737). Each tapestry bears his monogram, coat of arms, and emblems associated with his rank, such as the anchor, which signified his position as admiral of the navy. The subject of the series reflects a heightened European interest in the Far East during the seventeenth century and is among the first French subjects on a chinoiserie theme -- Europeans adaptation and interpretation of images derived from Asia.
14. GCENRM_150707_190.JPG: Louis XIV at the Getty "There is nothing that indicates more clearly the magnificence of great princes than their superb palaces and their precious furniture." -- Louis XIV, 1663 The King: Louis XIV (1638-1715) was one of France's most important kings. He ruled from 1643 to 1715, the longest reign of any French monarch, and was known as the Sun King. He wielded absolute power, waged many wars to increase his glory, and greatly encouraged the arts and sciences. In this portrait Louis is shown at sixty-two years old, then at the pinnacle of his power as the ruler of the most populous and influential country in Western Europe with grandest and most sumptuous court. The Arts: Louis XIV was obsessed with every detail of government and art, pushing administrators and artists to produce the finest examples of their craft to glorify and enrich the kingdom. In addition to spectacular royal commissions such as the buildings and furnishings of Versailles, significant cultural institutions were founded during his rule. France became the leading producer of the luxury arts in Europe, and the decorative arts collection at the J. Paul Getty Museum is particularly strong in works associated with the reign of this pivotal monarch. The two following galleries are devoted to works of French art from this period.
15. GCENRM_150707_192.JPG: Masters' Stamps: In an effort to control quality in the furniture trade, the carpenters' and cabinet-makers' guilds required members to stamp their work with their names. That rule was first imposed in the mid-1600s, but masters stamped their pieces only sporadically until the guilds began strict enforcement during the 1740s. Usually placed where it couldn't be seen, such as under a marble top of beneath a seat rail, a stamp was a professional mark for other craftsmen and guild inspectors. It was not intended to be an advertisement to the consumer. A craftsman was considered to be the author of a piece of furniture bearing his stamp, but masters also ran large workshops with many employees and may have only supervised production in some cases, although they did impose their style on the products. Furniture was rarely stamped once the guilds was abolished in 1793. Although the gilt-bronze furniture mounts made by bronzeworkers were rarely signed with their maker's name, some pieces bear the crowned C, a small stamp indicating that a tax had been paid on the copper content of the bronze. The crown symbolized the Royal Treasury that collected the tax and was used between February 1745 and February 1749.
16. GCENRM_150707_195.JPG: Guilds: In the 1600s and 1700s the administrative bodies of the guilds of the carpenters, cabinetmakers, and bronzeworkers regulated the training, mastery, and professional activity of craftsmen. Powerful because of their large membership and rich from the revenues provided by masters' fees, the guilds were also relief agencies, caring for old and sick masters and helping their impoverished widows to raise their children. Trade unions were the modern equivalent of the guilds. Entry to the guilds began at an early age with a lengthy training period in a master's workshop, usually for nine years -- six as an apprentice and three as a journeyman. At the end of the training period, the journeyman had to create a finished object to exacting standards in the trade in which he had been trained. Finally, he had to pay a reception fee to be admitted to the guild. Through the workshops and the training of apprentices and journeymen, master craftsmen insured the future of their trade. Members of the carpenters', cabinet-makers', and bronzeworkers' guilds worked together to produce furniture. The carpenter built the frame; the cabinet-maker veneered it with exotic woods, marquetry, and tortoiseshell or horn; and the bronzemaker provided gilt-bronze mounts. The bronzeworkers were divided into three groups: moldmakers, founders, and chasers and gilders. Chairs were made by carpenters and decorated by carvers who were not necessarily guild members. The guilds were abolished in 1793, during the French Revolution, after a long history dating back to the Middle Ages.
17. GCENRM_150707_220.JPG: French and German Decorative Arts 1720-1760: Thing long gallery, divided into three sections by the projecting walls and columns, is a modern design with proportions similar to those of the grand halls of the 1700s. It contains French and German furniture, ceramics, and textiles spanning the period from 1720 to 1760, as well as European paintings chosen to reflect the taste of French collectors of the time.
18. GCENRM_150707_233.JPG: Machine d'Argent (Silver Centerpiece), 1754
19. GCENRM_150707_248.JPG: The Tomb of Madame Langhans, about 1785
20. GCENRM_150707_273.JPG: Regence Paneled Room 1670-1720 This gallery represents the scale of a small, private room from a Parisian residence. It is fitted with fourteen carved panels that are the full-length doors of an extensive bookcase, which forms the architecture and decoration of the room. The furniture, which suits the intimate proportions of the room, was made in luxurious and rare materials that only the most affluent patrons could afford.
21. GCENRM_150707_284.JPG: Rococo Furniture: The term Rococo is applied to the style that developed during the first half of the 1700s. Characterized by the repeated use of curves and an abundance of sculptural ornament, the Rococo style has much less ponderous and more graceful and lighthearted than the earlier Baroque style. The Rococo is especially associated with the use of asymmetrical forms and naturalistic motifs, such as sprigs of flowers, leaves, and shells, as well as abstract shapes that are often reminiscent of splashing water. The objects in this room demonstrate the triumphant height of the Rococo style in the mid-1700s.
22. GCENRM_150707_309.JPG: French Porcelain: Vincennes and Sevres: Attempts to produce porcelain in France began around 1738 at the royal castle of Vincennes. In 1756, the factory moved to new buildings in Sevres, a town near Versailles. By that time, Louis XIV had become principle shareholder of the factory and had designated it the Royal Porcelain Manufactory. The decoration of each piece of porcelain required numerous kiln firings, and several craftsmen and artists collaborated in the production of a single piece of porcelain. Two important artists deserve mention: Jean-Claude Duplessis (1695-1774), who supplied designs for new models and supervised the ceramic workers, and Jean-Jacques Bachelier (1724-1806), who supplied designs for painted decoration and supervised the painting studio.
23. GCENRM_150707_314.JPG: Marks on Vincennes and Sevres Porcelain: Vincennes/Sevres wares are often marked on the base with painted crossed Ls identifying them as products of the royal manufactory. A letter, usually painted between the crossed Ls, indicates the date that a piece was made: A for 1753, B for 1754, and so on. At the exhaustion of the alphabet in 1777, double letters began to be used, starting with AA for 1778 and continuing until PP for 1793, the factory's last year as a royal enterprise. In addition to the factory and date marks, individual craftsmen sometimes left their personal identification marks incised in the paste and painted over the glaze. Usually these marks are hidden on the base of an object.
24. GCENRM_150707_322.JPG: The Transitional Style and the Gout Grec: Inspired by the archaeological discoveries made at Pompeii and Herculaneum from 1738 onward, French designers began to apply the line, scale, and proportion of ancient architecture to their work. By 1760, such objects were identified by contemporaries as being in the gout grec (Greek taste). This style was characterized by sparing use of large, bold mounts in gilt bronze against plain wood surfaces. Most Parisan cabinetmakers gradually drifted from the fluid, natural forms of the Rococo to the new taste, borrowing motifs from antiquity. Such objects are now described as "transitional" because they exhibit features of both the preceding Rococo style and the Classical Revival.
25. GCENRM_150707_341.JPG: French Decorative Arts 1765-1785: Between 1765 and 1775, the Neoclassical style evolved from being boldly architectural and monumental, which appealed to only a few, to a lighter and more refined version that appealed to a much broader public. The scope of that development can be seen in this gallery by contrasting the commode made by Giles Joubert in 1769 with the bed of about 1775-80.
26. GCENRM_150707_388.JPG: Neoclassical Paneled Room 1765-1795 This salon, or main reception room, is from a residence in Paris called the Maison Hosten. It was built for Jean-Baptiste Hosten, a plantation owner from Santo Domingo. He commissioned the architect Claude-Nicolas Ledoux to design his residence as the focus of a larger housing complex that was to include fourteen other surrounding town houses. The Maison Hosten and six of the others were completed by 1795, when building stopped after Hosten fled the country during the French Revolution. The whole project was dismantled at the end of the 1800s. The complex is considered to have been among the most significant works of French domestic architecture by one of the leading architects of the 1700s.
27. GCENRM_150707_414.JPG: The Neoclassical Style: Interest in antiquity influenced the production of the entire range of European decorative arts from about 1765 on. Shapes and motifs from ancient Greek and Roman sources were applied to interior design, furniture, metalwork, ceramics, and textiles. The framelike borders of the tapestries in this gallery, with their rigid angularity and classical patterning, reflect this prevailing fashion, known as Neoclassicism.
28. GCENRM_150707_434.JPG: The Rococo Style: Trailing vines, sprigs of flowers, shells, splashing water, animals, and repeated use of curves characterize the Rococo style. French designers began to apply these elements to interior architecture and furnishings in the first half of the 1700s. The furniture seen here, made predominantly by Bernard van Risenburgh, shows that the style sometimes incorporated lacquer imported from Japan. Throughout the Rococo period, the French avidly collected porcelain and lacquer from Japan and China.
29. GCENRM_150707_437.JPG: Bernard van Risenburgh About 1696-about 1766, master before 1730 Bernard van Risenburgh was one of the principal Parisian cabinet-makers of the mid-1700s. He worked for marchands-merciers (dealers in luxury goods), who created new styles and novelties, which they sold in their fashionable Parisian shops to the rich aristocracy and members of the court. In accordance with guild rules, van Risenburgh stamped his furniture with his name, but because of its length he used only the initials BVRB. Van Risenburgh specialized in producing furniture decorated with panels of Japanese lacquer, such as the commode in this gallery. He was also celebrated for his furniture veneered with floral marquetry, and he was the first to mount furniture with Sevres porcelain plaques. In contrast to general practice (in which multiple casts of a mount were available to several cabinetmakers), the majority of the gilt-bronze mounts used by van Risenburgh were unique to his pieces. They do not appear on furniture by other makers. For this reason it is assumed that he designed his own mounts and that the models were reserved by the mountmaker, who belonged to a separate guild, for van Risenburgh's use alone. This feature helps to distinguish his work from that of other cabinetmakers.
30. GCENRM_150707_497.JPG: Late Neoclassicism in European Art and Design 1780-1830 "We have striven to imitate the spirit of the antique, its principles and maxims, which are eternal." -- French designers Charles Percier (1764-1838) and Pierre-Francois-Leonard Fontaine (1762-1853) in their 1801 book Collection of Interior Decoration (in French). The European embrace of Neoclassical ideals in the visual arts and literature were closely aligned with recent discoveries of ancient art and architecture -- publicized in luxurious print collections with the work of French and German Enlightenment philosophers and writers. In the wake of the French Revolution in 1789, Napoleon Bonaparte's adoption of Neoclassicism as an official imperial style, coined the Empire style, also contributed to its popularity in France and its imitation by other European rulers. The curvilinear silhouettes that had dominated the decorative arts were replaced by rectilinear lines, incorporating ancient motifs and forms.
31. GCENRM_150707_499.JPG: Collecting on the Grand Tour The Grand Tour was a phenomenon of travel undertaken mainly by northern Europeans that reached its culmination in the eighteenth century. The goal was to visit Italy, the touchstone of the classical past, where a personal and intellectual education could be completed. The British dominated the Grand Tour experience and were lured to Italy by their admiration for antiquity and their desire to see firsthand the great monuments of ancient Rome. Grand Tourists were often young noblemen; their pilgrimage might include periods of study, and they were often accompanied by a tutor. An important activity of such Grand Tourists was the purchase of ancient sculpture, or sculpture in the ancient style produced by contemporary sculptors. Ultimately, their patronage and taste supported and stimulated the Neoclassical style, which incorporated the principles of ancient art modernized through individual inventiveness. On their return to their native countries, the collectors refashioned the interiors of their homes into elaborate backdrops for the display of artistic souvenirs from their Mediterranean travels. Several sculptural commissions and acquisitions by Grand Tourists are on view in this gallery, executed by native Italian sculptors, such as Antonio Canova and Bartolomeo Cavaceppi, and by English sculptors, including Joseph Nollekens, Joseph Wilton, and Francis Harwood, whose careers were spent almost entirely in Italy.
32. GCENRM_150707_506.JPG: The Invention of a New Classical Style 1700-1830 "There is only one way for the moderns to become great and perhaps unequaled: by imitating the ancients." -- German art historian Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717-1768) in this 1755 book "Thoughts on the Imitation of Greek Works in Painting and Sculpture" (in German) The excavations of ancient archaeological sites in Greece and Italy, particularly Pompeii and Herculaneum in the mid-1700s, and the wish to break with the no-longer-fashionable styles of Baroque and Rococo sculpture led to a fervent desire within artistic and literary circles to create modern sculpture imbued with the characteristics of ancient sculpture. The 1764 publication of the groundbreaking "History of Ancient Art" by Johann Joachim Winckelmann, a German art historian and archaeologist based in Rome, also codified an ideal canon of beauty. This included pure forms and silhouettes, the predominant use of white marble, and the adaptation of ancient mythological subject matter.
AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
Wikipedia Description: Getty Center
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Getty Center, in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, is one of two locations of the J. Paul Getty Museum. The museum's permanent collection includes "pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative arts; and 19th- and 20th-century American and European photographs". Among the works on display is the painting Irises by Vincent van Gogh.

The Center, which opened on December 16, 1997, is also well known for its architecture, gardens, and views (overlooking Los Angeles). Besides the Museum, the Center's buildings house the Getty Research Institute, the Getty Conservation Institute, the Getty Foundation, and the administrative offices of the J. Paul Getty Trust, which owns and operates the Center.

Location and history:

The purchase of the land upon which the Center is located -- a campus of 24 acres (97,000 m2) on a 110-acre (0.45 km2) site in the Santa Monica Mountains above Interstate 405, surrounded by 600 acres (2.4 km2) kept in a natural state -- was announced in 1983. The top of the hill is 900 feet (270 m) above I-405, high enough that on a clear day it is possible to see not only the Los Angeles skyline but also the San Bernardino Mountains to the east as well as the Pacific Ocean to the west.

In 1984, Richard Meier was chosen to be the architect of the Center. After an extensive conditional-use permit process, construction began in August 1989.

The construction was significantly delayed, with the planned completion date moved from 1988 to 1995 (as of 1990). By 1995, however, the campus was described as only "more than halfway complete".

The Center finally opened to the public on December 16, 1997. Although the total project cost was estimated to be $350 million as of 1990, it was later estimated to be $1.3 billion.

Architecture:

Richard Meier has exploited the two naturally occurring ridges (which diverge at a 22.5 degree angle) by overlaying two grids along these axes. These grids serve to define the space of the campus while dividing the import of the buildings on it. Along one axis lie the galleries and along the other axis lie the administrative buildings. The primary grid structure is a 30-inch (760 mm) square; most wall and floor elements are 30-inch (760 mm) squares or some derivative thereof.

The buildings at the Getty Center are made from concrete and steel with either travertine or aluminium cladding.

Throughout the campus, numerous fountains provide white noise as a background. The initial design has remained intact, however benches and fences have been installed around the plaza fountains to discourage visitors from wading into the pools. Some additional revisions have been made in deference to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The north promontory is anchored by a circular grass area which serves as a heliport in case of emergencies, and the south promontory is anchored by a succulent plant and cactus garden.

The museum has a seven-story deep underground parking garage with over 1,200 parking spaces. An automated three-car, cable-pulled tram takes passengers to and from the museum.

Museum:

The collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum on display at the Getty Center includes "pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative arts; and 19th- and 20th-century American and European photographs". The paintings include:

* Arii Matamoe (The Royal End) by Paul Gauguin (1892). The Museum's director, Michael Brand, stated that the purchase of the painting was “one of the key moments in the history of our collection”. The literal translation of the Tahitian words of the title are "noble" and "sleeping eyes," which implies "death".
* Irises by Vincent Van Gogh (1889). The Museum purchased the painting in 1990; it had sold for $53.9 million in 1987.
* Portrait of a Halberdier by Pontormo (1528-1530). When the Museum bought the painting for $35.2 million at an auction in 1989, "the price more than tripled the previous record at auction for an Old Master painting".
* A copy of Portrait of Louis XIV, which measures 114 x 62-5/8 inches, by the workshop of Hyacinthe Rigaud (after 1701).

The five museum buildings, called pavilions, are North, East, South, West and the Exhibitions Pavilion. The Exhibitions Pavilion acts as the temporary residence for traveling art collections and the Foundation's artwork for which the permanent pavilions have no room. The permanent collection is displayed throughout the other four pavilions chronologically: the North houses the oldest art while the West houses the newest. The first-floor galleries house light-sensitive art, such as illuminated manuscripts, furniture, or photography. Computer-controlled skylights on the second floor galleries allow paintings to be displayed in natural light. The second floors are connected by a series of glass-enclosed bridges and open terraces, both of which offer views of the surrounding hillsides and central plaza.

Central Garden:

The 134,000-square-foot (12,400 m2) Central Garden at the Getty Center is the work of artist Robert Irwin. Planning for the garden began in 1992, construction started in 1996, and the garden was completed in December 1997.

Irwin was quoted as saying that the Central Garden "is a sculpture in the form of a garden, which aims to be art". A tree-lined walkway descends to a plaza, while water in a stream criss-crosses the walkway, continues through the plaza, and goes over a stone waterfall into a round pool. A maze of azaleas floats in the pool, around which is a series of specialty gardens. More than 500 varieties of plant material are used for the Central Garden, but the selection is "always changing, never twice the same".

Getty Research Institute (GRI):

The Getty Research Institute (GRI) is "dedicated to furthering knowledge and advancing understanding of the visual arts". Among other holdings, GRI's research library contains over 900,000 volumes of books, periodicals, and auction catalogs; special collections; and two million photographs of art and architecture. GRI's other activities include exhibitions, publications, and a residential scholars program. At the Getty Center, GRI is located to the west of the museum.

Getty Conservation Institute (GCI):

The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), which is headquartered at the Getty Center but also has facilities at the Getty Villa, commenced operation in 1985. It "serves the conservation community through scientific research, education and training, model field projects, and the dissemination of the results of both its own work and the work of others in the field" and "adheres to the principles that guide the work of the Getty Trust: service, philanthropy, teaching, and access". GCI has activities in both art conservation and architectural conservation. Its offices are north of the museum.

Getty Foundation:

The Getty Foundation awards grants for "the understanding and preservation of the visual arts". In addition, it runs the Getty Leadership Institute for "current and future museum leaders". Its offices are north of the museum.

J. Paul Getty Trust:

The J. Paul Getty Trust oversees the Getty Conservation Institute, Getty Foundation, Getty Research Institute, and J. Paul Getty Museum. Its offices are north of the museum.

Preparation for natural disasters:

Earthquakes:

Although the Center's site was thought to have little motion during earthquakes which are frequent in the Los Angeles area, in 1994, as the Center was being constructed, the Northridge earthquake struck. It caused "disturbing hairline cracks... in the welds and plated joints of the steel framework". As a result, the steelwork through the site was retrofitted. The Center's buildings are thought to be able to survive an earthquake of 7.5 magnitude on the Richter scale.

Fires:

A number of measures were or are taken to help prevent fires at the Center, including:

* In the 16 electrical transformers at the Center, silicone fluid is used as a coolant "with less risk of ignition" than hydrocarbon coolant.
* The native flammable chaparral was removed and fire-resistant poverty weed was added to the slopes around the Center.
* Each year, a herd of goats is rented to clear brush on the surrounding hills.

A number of other measures help to suppress any fires that might occur or to prevent damage from them, including:

* At the north end of the Center, a tank with a million gallons of water, together with a grass-covered helipad, allow helicopters to collect water.
* The access ramp from the entry plaza to the museum was constructed to allow a fire truck to pass over it.
* Inside the museum, the sprinkler system is designed to balance "between the potential damage of a fire and the risk of water damage to valuable artwork"/
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