 Entrance to 'Book of Beasts' Getty exhibit with docent at start of a guided tour The exhibit Book of Beasts: The Bestiary in the Medieval World at the Getty in Los Angeles is pretty impressive. I listened to a podcast episode with the curators on Getty Arts & Ideas show, and though manuscripts exhibits don’t particularly move me (think dark rooms, small print, Latin, teeny-tiny pictures), my interest was piqued. It deserved a visit. I took a group tour with a Getty docent this past Saturday, perused the exhibit even further afterwards, and followed up browsing the exhibit’s webpages on Getty’s site when I got home. I’ve taken it one step further here by giving you the inside scoop on the exhibit—some museum scuttlebutt about the exhibit’s promotional campaign and the need-to-know particulars that will make Book of the Beasts a rockstar exhibit, online or in person. Controversy! I love the image that greets you at the exhibit’s entrance (image above), a griffin with a person in its mouth. It’s whimsical. It’s also the image The Getty chose to use on its promotional banners displayed around the city of Los Angeles. Yet the choice stirred up major controversy according to the docent. The City of Los Angeles took issue with the griffin, which to the city council suggested violence against women given he (?) was holding a woman in its mouth. It’s a theme the City (and rightly so) is addressing through Mayor Garcetti’s domestic violence awareness campaign, yet it’s an example of political correctness gone wild. The Getty thought so too. Their response, according to the docent, is that the griffin is a mythical creature, a winged, beaked creature from a manuscript of the Middle Ages; it’s a far stretch that the image condones violence in the current day. The Getty got their way—the banners are up. It always makes an exhibit more interesting when you hear a snippet of behind-the-scenes drama—it makes museums more real don’t you think? Museums take note, share the back stories. We love to hear them  Bestiary (1240-50). A dragon leaps off the (right) page. The dragon, representing the devil, (left page) cowers beneath a mythical peridexion tree, which provide a safe space for the doves, a reference to the church’s protection of the faithful. What are ‘Bestiaries’? Before I get into more drama (which is how the exhibit begins with a dramatic giant unicorn horn), I’ll give a brief description of what a bestiary is. Background is much needed for an exhibition; in fact it’s essential. It gives context. When background information is missing or skipped, the objects and descriptions in the exhibit won’t make sense, because then it’s just a bunch of stuff that doesn’t relate to each other or you. Sadly the tour guide missed this important step, she jumped right in describing some of the objects without an overview. It was hard to make connections to real life and why it mattered. Okay off my soap box and moving on: Definition: Bestiaries (or bestiary) are books, also called illuminated manuscripts, from the Middle Ages (500 to 1500 A.D.) decorated with mythical creatures and animals along with text. Bestiaries describe the creatures and include stories using them as symbols of the Christian faith in allegories. Though first used by the church for religious education, bestiaries were also a source of entertainment and learning for members of the wealthy society due to their dramatic and gorgeous illustrations. Over time bestiaries led to more encyclopedic books of natural history that moved away from religious instruction. The first encyclopedia of natural history was The Garden of Health published in 1491 (image at end of article). In current day, bestiaries have influenced art, literature, and film.  Stupendous oak ceiling panels from France (1225 - 75). Depicts images from the bestiary, including the leaping unicorn, (bottom panel, center), as well as images of real animals, like the lion (top panel, center), shown frequently in bestiaries as the 'king of the beasts'. From 'Book of Beasts' exhibit at the Getty  'Sit, Stand, Kneel' (2019) by J. Macpherson who cites the bestiary as inspiration, which combines religious themes with fauna and animals tied to her Canadian heritage. Why the Exhibit is Not just a bunch of Boring Books The Book of Beasts is one of the best temporary exhibits I’ve experienced at The Getty. It was ten years in the making according to the exhibit's senior curator. It’s far more than a display of old books—it brings together unique and provocative pieces of ancient and modern artwork and objects from select museums in North America and Europe that show the bestiaries' influence. Two of the most impressive objects are oak ceiling panels from France (image above) that show images of a leaping unicorn, an ostrich, lion and other real and mythical creatures. Five out of Five Stars The exhibit seems to flow chronologically through the gallery rooms which feature several manuscripts (under glass opened to specific pages), objects and art that highlight three distinct periods starting with, 1) the origins of the Bestiary: the books starting in the 1200s, objects and art works that incorporate ‘beasts’ with religious motifs, then moves to, 2) the influences of the bestiary on books, art and objects that emphasized the natural world—a shift away from the religion, and finally, 3) the last gallery room (pictured right) that focuses on current day, with objects and art of (mostly) living artists works that incorporate humans, animals and mythological creatures. The exhibit feels relevant, approachable, even hip with the curators selection of 21st century art. As I’ve written in this website’s section on creating learning programs and exhibits for museums, they need to be relevant, so visitors can make connections to things they are interested in—to their real lives. Book of Beasts does so with its progression throughout the exhibit, you see how encyclopedias developed (think wikipedia), how images of animals were incorporated into art and literature, and finally to current day art objects with works that are large, dramatic. It’s thought-provoking, real. I give the Book of the Beasts a solid 5 out of 5 stars, not only to the in-person exhibit but also the online elements included on Getty’s website. How to Experience The Exhibit The exhibition is must-see either online or in-person (until August 18, 2019) . The excellent web resources also incorporate social media channels brilliantly. To learn more, check out the YouTube video (below), peruse the web pages on the Getty’s online exhibit pages, and for more in-depth learning download the object checklist (PDF) which describes every object shown in the exhibit including the museum it’s from. There are also four videos featuring the curators discussing different beasts on ‘Beastly Banter’ available on Getty’s Facebook page. Enjoy! More ways to explore Book of Beasts
You Tube video (4:18 min.) about Book Of Beasts featuring Senior Curator Beth Morrison
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 Rembrandt (1660). At the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. I tried to find an online exhibit on Rembrandt given a ‘wealth of museums’ according to the Art Newspaper, around the world are celebrating the ‘Year of the Rembrandt’ as the year 2019 marks the 350th anniversary Rembrandt’s death (Luke & Da Silva, 2019). Other than a rather static virtual exhibition sponsored by a group of museums in Southern California, I couldn’t find one—so I created my own. Though there are several terrific exhibits to visit in person, including at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam with its year long celebration of events and exhibitions, and at The Met, Praise of Painting: Dutch Masterpieces, and Dutch Painting in the Age of Rembrandt at the Saint Louis Museum of Art, my online exhibit is the next best thing. I created ‘Celebrate Rembrandt’ online exhibit using a variety of dynamic media which allows you to enjoy a selection of Rembrandt’s works and learn about this Dutch Master from the convenience of your desktop or digital device. It includes a selection of excellent (and brief) videos, images, and an interactive media piece that explores one of Rembrandt’s most famous works, The Night Watch. But First, A Brief Background of Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn born in 1606 known as ‘Rembrandt’, was one of the most innovative and greatest artists of his time, and the most significant in Dutch art history. Rembrandt created works in three mediums—painting, drawing and etching, that included self-portraits, landscapes, nudes, ‘tronies’ (paintings of character studies often with exaggerated expressions). His etchings created a new category of enduring works (prints) which transformed printmaking into a legitimate art form (below is a terrific video that shows how he made his etchings). He also introduced a new brushstroke technique consisting of a rough and coarse appearance, described in Dutch as ‘grof mania’ (later Van Gogh took this technique to a new level). His textured brushstrokes differed (drastically) from the smooth, fine painting of the time. Also of significance are Rembrandt’s self-portraits; he painted many, which left us with a visual biography that captures Rembrandt in a series of realistic and frequently unglamorous poses. Rembrandt lived in the Dutch Republic (now the Netherlands) and mostly in Amsterdam for the duration of his life, never traveling to study in Italy or elsewhere as many of his contemporaries had. He worked as an apprentice under two artists for brief periods, eventually opening his own studio and taking on students. Rembrandt’s talents were recognized early on which led to several patrons, though his success is also attributed to connections of his wife's family which benefited Rembrandt greatly. He married Saskia van Ulyenburgh in 1634, and moved into a newly built (expensive) home in an upscale neighborhood in 1639. And though Rembrandt earned a good living, his living expenses were onerous; he was known for living well beyond his means. He struggled financially for most of his life, and died a poor man in 1669. Two Rembrandt Masterpieces The Night Watch (1642) One of Rembrandt most famous works is The Night Watch, on view in the Rijksmuseum. It’s considered one of Rembrandt’s most significant works not only because of its size, but because of how he depicted a militia, which was typically painted as formal and static, yet Rembrandt created a dynamic scene, with action and interesting figures including a young child. The work was commissioned by the musketeer branch of the civic militia; it was finished in 1642. The painting is so enormous that the Risksmuseum had to build a custom gallery for a fitting display in a recent renovation. In 1715, when the painting was moved to Amsterdam Hall, it was trimmed on all four sides to accommodate the painting in it’s new location. The trimmings have yet to be found. Click on The Night Watch image below to explore the painting. Return back to this webpage to continue with the exhibition.  Click on the image: it will open in a new window and take you to an interactive media on the website of the Rijksmuseum. Explore by clicking on the ‘Start’ button; start with the ‘Highlights Tour’. Old Man in Military Costume (1630-31) This is is marvelous work, considered a tronie (character study). Just look at the expression of the man’s face and how Rembrandt’s technique created his expression, and the ostrich plume on his hat. Most interesting is the discovery of what’s under the painting, which was discovered with x-ray fluorescene technology. There’s another figure underneath, which a conservation team at The Getty Research Institute reconstructed. Click on the Old Man in Military Costume image below (it will open in a new window on a different website) to read about the painting's analysis, and scroll down the page to view the re-constructed image and the machine used for scanning.  Click on image to learn about what's underneath this painting and the technology used to re-create the discovered image. Rembrandt as Printmaker Rembrandt created a new genre of art with his etching technique, known as printmaking. I never was clear on how prints were made in Rembrandt's time—the video by Christie's describes the process beautifully (and briefly). His prints transformed how printmaking was viewed—which was into a legitimate art category. His contemporaries at the time were duly impressed with his etching ability, critics even suggested he had a ‘secret method’ all his own that he didn’t even share with his students. Rembrandt made approximately 290 plates, of which 79 exist today. Interesting is their size; the plates were small, none larger than 21 by 18 inches, most the size of a postcard. Video: Rembrandt: Pioneer Printmaker (1:52 minutes) Video: How Rembrandt Made His Etchings: Christie's (4:08 minutes) To learn even more about Rembrandt’s prints, visit this link to an essay by the Met Museum by Nadine Orenstein, and this article by Ed de Heer. Self Portraits Rembrandt painted, drew and etched, 50 magnificent self portraits, and even though there are approximately 90 that exist, not all are attributed to Rembrandt; research reveals that several were painted by Rembrandt’s students—he had them copy his portraits as part of their training. Rembrandt created self portraits starting in his early 20s up until his death at the age of 63. Some of his portraits show him in unflattering poses, such as Rembrandt with an open mouth, messy hair, a surprised expression and even as an older man complete with wrinkles and extra flesh. Video: Rembrandt, Self Portrait (3:55 minutes) To learn more about Rembrandt’s self portraits, see Rembrandt: Selected Self Portraits at rembrandtpainting.net. I hope you enjoyed 'Celebrate Rembrandt' online exhibit. Below I've pulled together a selection of sites to further explore Rembrandt's works, this Dutch Master and most significant artist of all time. Enjoy! More to Explore Online
List of Museum Exhibitions
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