Cultural philanthropy is one of those rare virtues which has value long after the death of its purveyor. It not only educates and edifies tomorrow’s generation, but fuels a virtuous cycle of generosity to society. One such example is the J. Paul Getty Museum which is part of the Getty Center in LA, California.
Named after Jean Paul Getty, a rich industrialist who was once the richest man in America, the Getty Museum draws some 1.3 million visitors a year. Amazingly, entry to the museum is free, although one has to pay for parking. Most of its collection came from Getty’s own estate, and include artworks, manuscripts, photographs, sculptures, decorative art items and antiquities from largely European civilisations. Of special mention are its impressive holdings of European paintings from the 14th to 19th Century featuring big names like Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt, Degas, Renoir and others.
Our trip to the Getty started with a monorail ride from the carpark. Yes, the compound is so huge that a private rail system was needed!
