Museum Home Past Exhibitions The Getty Commodus: Roman Portraits and Modern Copies

December 18, 2008–June 1, 2009 at the Getty Villa

ExhibitionEventsPublications

All events are free, unless otherwise noted.

Admission to the Getty Villa is FREE. An advance, timed ticket is required to visit the Getty Villa. Check ticket availability online or call (310) 440-7300. Groups of nine or more must make reservations by phone.


Lectures

"Bringing It All Back Home": Grand Tour Collections at Castle Howard in the 18th Century
Christopher Ridgway, curator at Castle Howard in England, explores three generations of the Howard family and their travels to Italy, where they absorbed its cultural riches and acquired art treasures including antiquities, bronzes, gems, paintings by Italian Old Masters, and portrait busts like that of emperor Commodus featured in the exhibition The Getty Commodus: Roman Portraits and Modern Copies.

Ridgway illustrates how these works of art were arranged and displayed to maximum effect at Castle Howard and considers how this and other art collections of the 18th century are relevant today. Free; a ticket is required.

Saturday April 25, 2009, 2:00 p.m.
Getty Villa, Auditorium

Commodus: A Gladiator-God Ruling Rome
The emperor Commodus is considered one of Rome's "mad monarchs," his presumed insanity attributed to his activities in the arena and self-identification with Hercules. Olivier Hekster, author of Commodus: An Emperor at the Crossroads, argues that Commodus's behavior should be seen as an attempt to win the support of soldiers and the common people of Rome—a tactic that was remarkably successful. Senators felt excluded, leading them to distort Commodus's actions in their writings, resulting in his negative reputation. Free; a ticket is required.

Thursday, January 22, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Getty Villa, Auditorium


Talks

Curator's Gallery Talk
Join Jens Daehner, associate curator of Antiquities, the J. Paul Getty Museum, for a tour through the exhibition. Free with your advance, timed ticket to the Getty Villa; space is limited. Sign up at the Tour Meeting Place outside the Museum Entrance 15 minutes before the talk.

Friday, February 27, 2009, 3:00 p.m.
Getty Villa, Museum galleries

Point of View: Artist Talks
Point-of-View: Artist Talk Christopher Slatoff, California artist and expert in sculpture, provides his unique perspective on the integrity of Roman art and issues of interpretation and plagiarism in relation to the exhibition. Free with your advance, timed ticket to the Getty Villa; space is limited. Sign up at the Tour Meeting Place outside the Museum Entrance 15 minutes before the talk.

Thursday:
March 5, 2009, 11:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Saturday:
March 7, 2009, 11:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Getty Villa, Museum galleries


Bust of Emperor Commodus  / Roman
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Tours

An Introduction to Three Exhibitions at the Villa
Join a Museum educator in this one-hour tour through the exhibition as well as two complementary exhibitions, Reconstructing Identity: A Statue of a God from Dresden and Fragment to Vase: Approaches to Ceramic Restoration. Themes of historical context, conservation and restoration, and the study of objects by archaeologists, conservators, collectors, and curators are explored. Free with your advance, timed ticket to the Getty Villa; space is limited. Sign up at the Tour Meeting Place outside the Museum Entrance 15 minutes before the talk.

Monday:
January 19, 2009, 3:00 p.m.

Fridays:
January 2, 9, and 23, 2009, 3:00 p.m.
February 6 and 20, 2009, 3:00 p.m.
March 6 and 20, 2009, 3:00 p.m.
April 3 and 17, 2009, 3:00 p.m.

Saturdays:
January 3–April 25, 2009, 3:00 p.m.
Getty Villa, Museum galleries


Family Activity

Family Festival
Enjoy a hands-on exploration of the worlds of archaeology and restoration that make museums like the Getty Villa possible! Free; a ticket is required. Tickets available beginning Thursday, April 23, 2009, at 9:00 a.m.

Sunday, May 31, 2009, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Getty Villa


GettyGuide™ Audio Player

Behind this sculpture's placid face, mysteries abound. Listen to curators and conservators discuss why this bust of a Roman emperor fooled art historians for years about its true age and provenance. Pick up an audio player for a fee on the first floor of the Museum.