Getty Presents Rising Signs: The Medieval Science of Astrology

The J. Paul Getty Museum presents Rising Signs: The Medieval Science of Astrology, an exhibition showcasing the mysteries of medieval astrology as it intersected with medicine, divination, and daily life in the Middle Ages.

Drawn from the Getty’s Manuscripts collection and several loans from the Getty Research Institute, the exhibition will be on view at the Getty Center from October 1, 2024 through January 5, 2025.

The practice of astrology—examining the movement of planets and stars to decipher information about events on earth—was an important part of the culture of pre-modern Europe. Astrology permeated many aspects of the world, from weather forecasting and agricultural activities to sciences, including alchemy and divination, and practical questions related to daily life and health.

Representations of the 12 signs of the zodiac were some of the most visible expressions of the influence of astrology on the medieval imagination. Appearing in books of many types and for a wide variety of different audiences, from astronomical treatises to prayer books, the zodiac was a way of visualizing the passage of time, understanding the present, and even predicting the future.

“This exhibition explores a topic that still has enormous resonance with contemporary life: the signs of the zodiac and the conception of astrology not just as a belief system but as a real science,” says Larisa Grollemond, associate curator of manuscripts at the Getty Museum. “By looking at the medieval visual history of the zodiac and exploring the cultural structures in place for comprehending and applying the practical lessons of astrology, this exhibition aims to deepen visitors’ understanding of a modern phenomenon with a long history.”

The exhibition examines several different facets of medieval astrology, beginning with The Zodiac and the Cycle of the Celestial Year, highlighting how the signs of the zodiac were frequently represented in medieval art with symbols derived from the series of star constellations in the ecliptic, the path of the sun through the sky. This celestial year was frequently represented in medieval books as a circular diagram showing the zodiac signs, months of the year, seasons, and other astrological occurrences.

In astronomical terms, the zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that encompasses the path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year, as well as the orbital paths of the Moon and other major planets. The Zodiac in Astronomy examines how the revolution of the constellations was visualized, especially in printed books that preserve 13th-century author Johannes de Sacrobosco’s influential medieval astronomical text.

The Zodiac and the Human Body focuses on the intersection of the human body with the zodiac and how astrology conditioned a wide variety of medical treatments. Each zodiac sign was thought to have dominion over a particular part of the body, as shown in the Zodiac Skeleton on view, and could determine the timing and course of treatment, considering the patient’s ruling sign, the time of year, and the location of the ailment.