The story of an unwitting bigamist; ancient games to play this summer; extreme weather in 17th-century Europe

Why is this man buried between two wives?

That question is answered in a wildly entertaining story from a 15th-century Flemish manuscript. The remarkably detailed illustrations are also a delight.

Watch a video and hear this epic tale
 

Dinnertime in wealthy medieval homes

If you were the decadent type, you might have supped on swan and crane. And you would have eaten those with spoons and knives (no forks!), scraping clean pewter or silver plates. 

Other facts about medieval feasting

The epoch of extreme weather captured on canvas

What was the “Little Ice Age”? And did it affect the people of Europe the way our record temps are taxing us? 

Find out and see art inspired by this odd climate phenomenon

(Related event below)

Up for summertime fun, Greek and Roman style?

In ancient times, Greeks and Romans used games to stave off boredom, make new friends, and sometimes engage in intense competition.

Think drinking games, fun with a sheep’s ankle bone, piggyback rides with your eyes covered…
 

When an artist designs a fireworks display

Getty’s SoCal-wide art event PST ART: Art & Science Collide kicks off September 15 with a free daytime pyrotechnic display at the LA Coliseum. Artist Cai Guo-Qiang designed the show using more than 1,000 aerial drones plus fireworks that will go off inside, around, and above the stadium.

Learn more about this performance in the sky
 

Eight endangered buildings designed by Black architects receive Getty Foundation grants

From a theater in D.C. named after the first Black actor to play leading Shakespeare roles, to a dormitory in Mississippi designed by one of the most influential 20th-century Black architects, a new round of Getty funding will support conservation planning, training, and storytelling for modern sites.

These are the buildings
 

Frozen in Time: The Politics of 17th-Century Dutch Landscapes

Sunday, July 28, 2 pm

Getty Center and online

The exhibition On Thin Ice: Dutch Depictions of Extreme Weather tells a story of persistent global cooling in the 17th-century and how artists responded. This panel discussion invites experts to dive deep into the artists’ political, social, and technological concerns.

Get free tickets

Charles Phoenix: Southern California in Kodachrome

Wednesday, August 7, 7 pm

Getty Center and online

Performer and author Charles Phoenix leads us on a colorful mid-century tour of Southern California’s space-age suburbia, iconic landmarks, famous attractions, classic car culture, unique architecture, theme parks, and other fun stuff!

Get free tickets

Getty Publications Book Sale

Get 50% off dozens of books through August 4. Learn about “the Monet of photography” Gustave Le Gray, the birth of the Latin American metropolis, the global Fluxus movement, and much more. 

Shop the sale
 

When a window frames a view just so…

From Get Inspired subscriber Sigita Newsom:

I took this photo at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania in Vilnius, Lithuania. It is a view of the inner courtyard.

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 at stories@getty.edu.