Why the Getty Center is a Must-Visit in Los Angeles

Irises by Vincent van Gogh

Everybody who has driven by car through Los Angeles knows the feeling of congestion. Some people even have nightmares about roads like the 91, the 101, and the 110. And maybe worst of all is Interstate 405 running from the north to the south side of LA. But, yet, along this always-busy highway, you can find an oasis of peace and joy. Near the hills of Bel Air, you can find the Getty Center, a free museum with amazing art, wonderful gardens, and spectacular views over the city.

And at Amuze, we just released our highlights audio tour of the Getty Center. Just like the museum, it is free and will make your visit to the Getty even more enjoyable. Available on Android and iOS, the tour will take you on a journey through time and across the world. You will start in the Renaissance by a magnificently-colored work by the Italian Mannerist painter Parmigianino. After leaving the Renaissance behind, you will become witness of the magnificent Baroque portraits by two of the best portrait painters ever, Frans Hals and Rembrandt. The tour continues with works by some of the all-time greats, including Jacques-Louis David, J. M. W. Turner, Manet, Renoir, and Van Gogh.

Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene by Parmigianino

Strolling through the Getty Center is a wonderful experience. Unlike most other museums, you are not staying inside for several hours. When moving from one building to the next building, you are confronted with spectacular views of Los Angeles, you will walk outside on the plaza where you can admire the wonderful architecture of the different pavilions, and you can take a stroll through the gardens where you can admire a variety of uncommon plants, flowers, and sculptures. All far away from the busy city below you.
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And in the meanwhile, our tour will take you from an extravagant regatta in Venice, to Turner’s Romantic view of the Roman Forum, to a surreal scene in Brussels by James Ensor. A visit to the Getty Center can really give you a feeling of vacation and relaxation, even if you do it in between some work. And it offers a variety of beauty, such that almost anybody will find something to admire. 

Modern Rome - Campo Vaccino by Turner

​You can be the judge on what you like most. If you have visited it already or will visit it in the future, let me know where you can find the best flowers. In one of the wonderful gardens, in the painting Jeanne (Spring) by Édouard Manet, or in the Irises by Vincent van Gogh?

Cheers, Eelco

Jeanne (Spring) by Édouard Manet