Damaged furniture and artworks inside Sursock Palace in Beirut, Lebanon, on August 25, 2020. Some of Beirut’s last surviving historical quarters were destroyed when ammonium nitrate detonated in a port hangar. Photo: Hasan Shaaban/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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INSIDE GETTY
Keep calm and care on
On August 4, 2020, a vast explosion ripped through Beirut, Lebanon, killing 218 people and creating a shock wave felt as far as Turkey. In addition to the human cost, shards of glass and shrapnel struck hundreds of artworks at nearby Sursock Palace. How did paintings conservators respond? With clever, surprising techniques proven successful in repairing paintings damaged by disasters or conflicts around the world.
Single thread bonding. Photo: TH Köln Heike Fischer
ART & ARCHITECTURE
What music do artists listen to while they work?
That’s not a ’90s mosh pit in this photo; it’s the artist Richard Serra at work in the acclaimed LA artist’s workshop Gemini G.E.L. Co-founder Sidney B. Felsen, who photographed this moment of dynamic inspiration, noted that the musical vibe in the studio was an important part of the creative process. But what songs really got Gemini artists going?
Richard Serra stomping oil stick through wire mesh to create a texture, 1998, Sidney B. Felsen. Getty Research Institute
What’s a drug jar?
In the middle ages—the early days of over-the-counter medicine—drugs were kept in ornately-decorated storage containers called drug jars. If you needed oil of earthworms for your joint pain, or tincture of hare’s bladder for your cataracts, you’d find them in the large, brightly decorated drug jars on shelves in the apothecary/pharmacy on your high street.
Saturday, February 17, 11:00 am–3:00 pm Getty Villa, Outer Peristyle
Become a scribe and create your own papyrus scene inspired by illustrations in the Book of the Dead. Learn about the making and use of the scrolls and ancient Egyptian art and belief.
Papyrus of Pasherashaikhet (detail), about 375–275 BCE. Egyptian. Ink on papyrus. Getty Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H.P. Kraus
TALKS
The Decorated Page: The Arts of the Book in the Persian World
Sunday, February 25, 2:00 pm Getty Center, Museum Lecture Hall, and Zoom
From discreet markings on early Qur’an folios to dazzling illustrations in historical texts, color has served as a defining feature in the art of Iranian books. Focusing on the 15th and 16th centuries, this presentation by Smithsonian curator Massumeh Farhad examines the careful preparation and application of pigments and their role within the context of Persian manuscripts. Complements Drawing on Blue.
Page of Calligraphies, Safavid period, 16th century, Iranian. Ink, color, and gold on paper. National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, Purchase—Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, S1986.347
There Will Be Blood: A Symposium
Friday, March 1, 9:00 am–5:00 pm, USC Saturday, March 2, 11:00 am–12:30 pm, Getty Center
Delve into the cultural, religious, and symbolic significance of blood during the medieval period in this collaboration between the Getty Museum and USC’s Center for the Premodern World. This two-day symposium brings together renowned international scholars, curators, and artists, offering a forum for academic inquiry and lively discussions about this vital aspect of medieval culture. Complements the upcoming exhibition Blood: Medieval/Modern.
Sent to us from Get Inspired subscriber Marta Washington: “A tram on a snowy night in Budapest. Shot with my iPhone 13.”
Have a window-framed scene “hanging” on your wall? Did you snap one somewhere else? Send us the photo! Include your name, camera used, location, and anything else you’d like to share. stories@getty.edu
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