Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
What a bummer. After eight years and $275 million spent on renovations, the Getty Villa will reopen today in Malibu as a free public museum. But in art circles, the spotlight is instead focused on Rome, where the museum's former curator is on trial.
At issue is whether Marion True conspired to receive stolen goods and whether, by extension, the Getty knowingly acquired items looted from archaeological sites in Italy. (The Getty returned three disputed items in November; Italy and Greece continue to seek the return of dozens of other treasures.)
When you're dealing with objects that date from 6,500 B.C., you're bound to have a few skeletons in the closet. And sure enough: Among the thousands of objects now on display in the villa's galleries is a mummy that has never been on view.
Patterned after a Roman estate that went kaboom with Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, the hilltop villa originally was built as a home for the extensive art and antiquities collections of oil baron J. Paul Getty. Architects Rodolfo Machado and Jorge Silvetti of Boston have since given it a well-received remodel, doubling its size and increasing its use of natural light. The gardens also have been updated. Visitors will find a new, 450-seat outdoor arena, additional parking and several massive sculptures mounted atop carefully disguised seismic isolators.
Advance, timed tickets are required for entry and may be obtained by calling 1-310-440-7300 or by going to the Web site http://www.getty.edu.
postCount('Le1FCgetty284422537'); | postCountTB('Le1FCgetty284422537');
To see more of InsideVC.com, or to subscribe, go to www.InsideVC.com.
? 2004 InsideVC.com. All Rights Reserved.
