Meet Getty’s head chef; chivalry; the art that bloomed in East Germany

In the kitchen with Getty Restaurant’s head chef

Chef Patrick Florendo creates seasonal, refined dishes with a home-cooked vibe: crispy-skin branzino with Dungeness crab brandade, and handmade pasta with local wild mushrooms and 26-month-old Parmesan were two recent hits. He first learned to cook in his Filipino parents’ always-bustling, delicious-smelling kitchen, trained at the Culinary Institute of America, and worked in fine-dining restaurants such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market before taking the helm at the Getty Restaurant.  

Meet Patrick Florendo

Chivalry: is it really dead?

And if it’s alive and well, should it be? Getty medievalist Larisa Grollemond responds to these questions by looking at the origins of chivalry—how it first developed in Western Europe, how it guided knights’ view and treatment of women, and how it might have kept those men—heavily-armed warriors prone to violence—in check.

What was the chivalric code, exactly?

Play and Pastimes in the Middle Ages

Discover the lighter side of life in the Middle Ages through the engaging world of medieval games and leisure—everything from a light-hearted chess match to the dangerous sport of jousting. Then as now, play was thoroughly woven into the fabric of society at every level. You can join in the fun, too: family-friendly activities in the gallery abound.

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Art always finds a way

What happened when East Germany tried to control its artists in the 1980s? They created provocative magazines and artist books, for one. Getty scholar Isotta Poggi studies their innovative literature in the collaborative project “On the Eve of Revolution” and tells us how East German artists used the literature to covertly communicate, protest, and navigate through oppressive restrictions.

The underground art scene that bloomed in East Germany

“She reminds us to slow down and look”

Getty Museum curator Stephanie Schrader and Smarthistory executive director Beth Harris tell us about the remarkable Maria Sibylla Merian, a 17th-century naturalist who helped transform the study of insects. Using careful observation, Merian systematically illustrated the stages of insects’ development and the “natural drama” she witnessed—creating not only breakthrough scientific drawings but works of art.

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Teach art as a Getty docent

Creativity and curiosity are required; art history experience is not. If art is your passion, make it your practice as a Getty docent! The deadline to apply is May 31.

Learn more and apply

Rodney Smith: A Leap of Faith

Sunday, May 21, 2:00 p.m.
The Getty Center and online

On the occasion of the new Getty publication Rodney Smith: A Leap of Faith, a distinguished panel discusses Smith’s stunning, enchanting images. Join us after the talk for a book signing and reception.

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