Villa News: Art, talks, wine, & books

Art Break: The Aesthetics of Body Fat in Greek and Roman Sculpture

Wednesday, June 14, 12 pm

Online Talk

Ancient Greek and Roman writers frequently criticized bodies that deviated from a standard size and shape. But in works of art, artists depicted body fat in ways that can surprise us. Art historian Roko Rumora and University of Nottingham professor Mark Bradley examine how a marble statue of Venus and a bronze statuette of Hercules expand our understanding of the ideal body in antiquity.

Register for this free online talk

Bacchus Uncorked: Making Wine in Ancient Rome, from Spectacle to Reality

Saturday, July 22nd, 5:15–8:30 pm

Sunday, July 23rd, 5:15–8:30 pm

In this lecture and tasting, archaeologist Emlyn Dodd introduces the scope of Roman winemaking, from the humble urban vineyards and production facilities of Pompeii to a recently discovered luxury winery in Rome owned by the emperor himself. 

After the talk, enjoy the Villa’s gardens while sipping on a selection of modern Italian wines from the Lazio region curated by wine educator Diego Meraviglia.

The evening includes hearty appetizers, beautiful surroundings, friendly conversation. Limited capacity. Tickets: $90

Tickets released July 1

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The Gold Emperor from Aventicum

Now on view

A unique portrait bust of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, who ruled from AD 161 to 180, was excavated in Avenches, Switzerland—the ancient Roman site of Aventicum—in 1939. Discover this remarkable object, made by hammering a single sheet of gold, and explore the history of an ancient city where Roman institutions blended with the local traditions of a Celtic tribe known as the Helvetii.

Book your visit 

The Horse and Rider from Albania

In 2018, archaeologists discovered the delicate bronze statuette of an equestrian made around 500 BC at the site of Babunjë in Albania, in a region once populated by Greek colonists and known as Illyria. In collaboration with the Albanian Archaeological Institute, Getty conservators have recently completed treatment of the bronze. The exhibition focuses on the process of analyzing, cleaning, and stabilizing this fragile work of art.

Opens July 26, 2023

The Gospel at Colonus

September 7–30, 2023
Outdoor Classical Theater, Getty Villa

Soulful and stirring, this one-of-a-kind theatrical event reimagines the story of Oedipus as the centerpiece of a powerful gospel church service. The blinded Oedipus arrives at the seaside town of Colonus, near Athens, seeking rest and redemption after a lifetime of tragedy. But he is pursued by enemies, including his own son. Based on Sophocles’s Oedipus at Colonus from the 5th century BCE, this adaptation blends Greece myth with Black spiritual practice for a jubilant, life-affirming musical journey.

Tickets released July 1; sign up to be notified

Inside Pompeii

This lavish volume takes readers on a tour of Pompeii through an array of visually compelling and original photographs by Italian artist Luigi Spina. Produced in partnership with the Parco Archeologico di Pompei, readers are expertly guided through the Roman city’s nine districts, including many hidden corners that are inaccessible to most visitors.

Inside Pompeii provides the wondrous experience of wandering through this remarkable site without ever leaving home.

Available October 2023

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Shaping Roman Landscape: Ecocritical Approaches to Architecture and Wall Painting in Early Imperial Italy

This illustrated volume by Mantha Zarmakoupi examines how representations of real and depicted landscapes, and the merging of both in visual space, contributed to the creation of novel languages of art and architecture.

Drawing on a diverse body of archaeological, art historical, and literary evidence, this study applies an ecocritical lens that moves beyond the limits of traditional iconography, pointing instead to the changing relationship of humans with nature.

Available August 2023

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How Has Ancient Glass Survived?

In Europe, Asia, and North Africa, glass production began around 1600 BCE. Discover how many remarkable examples have survived burial, centuries underground, excavation, and export, and display.

Read the story