The Getty Center
Learn about these works of art and others during Masterpiece of the Week at the Getty Center.

Take away an idea from this 15-minute gallery talk! Join an upbeat discussion with a gallery teacher to explore an exceptional work of art—a new object is featured each week. Meet the educator at the Museum Information Desk.

Next in the series

Peasants In Pastels

Date: Tuesdays–Sundays, March 10–May 3, 2020
Time: 2:45 p.m. with additional tour on Saturday at 4:15 p.m.
Admission: Free

This 15-minute tour features the bright, colorful work of leading 19th-century artists who created scenes of French country life for an urban art market. Meet at the Information Desk.


Most recently in the series

Unseen: 35 Years of Collecting Photographs
January 21–March 8, 2020
This 15-minute tour highlights one or two select treasures from the Getty's vast array of historic and contemporary photographs that have never been shown here before. Meet at the Information Desk.

Museum Acquisitions 2019: Director's Choice
January 14, 21, 28, February 4, 11, 18, 25, 2020
This 30-minute tour explores the most important artworks added to the Getty collection in the past year.

True Grit: American Prints and Photographs
November 12, 2019–January 19, 2020
This 15-minute tour highlights select photographs and prints made between 1900 to 1950 that capture the spirit of American modernity. Meet at the Information Desk.

Gordon Parks: The Flávio Story
September 3–November 11, 2019
Join a 15-minute conversation that explores the work of Gordon Parks, Life magazine's first African American photographer, and its impact on the boy who became the artist's most important and controversial subject.

Fouquet's Madonna and Child—A Heavenly Vision
July 9–September 1, 2019
This 15-minute tour examines Renaissance painter Jean Fouquet's iconic vision of the queen of heaven, an image of both devotion and provocative eroticism. On view for a limited time from the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp.

Flight of Fancy: The Galle Chandelier
April 30–June 28, 2019
Join a 15-minute conversation about a fantastical French chandelier glistening at eye level: Shaped like a hot-air balloon, marked with signs of the zodiac, its glass bowl intended for goldfish!

Pontormo: Miraculous Encounters
February 12–April 28, 2019
Join a focused 15-minute conversation about the art of Renaissance painter Jacopo da Pontormo, whose newly conserved altarpiece has traveled from Italy for the first time to the United States with its only known preparatory drawing.

Sally Mann: A Thousand Crossings
December 4, 2018–February 10, 2019
Join a focused 15-minute conversation about the work of this pioneering American photographer, known for her provocative explorations of identity, place, and self.

A Queen's Treasure
October 2–December 2, 2018
Delight your eyes in a 15-minute encounter with Japanese lacquer from the private collection of the French queen Marie-Antoinette on loan from Versailles.

Icons of Fashion
August 21–September 30, 2018
This 15-minute conversation explores modern fashion photography and considers how photographers have shaped notions of style and beauty.

Rembrandt at the Getty
June 26–July 8, 2018
Engage your mind and senses with the Getty's magnificent collection of 17th-century Dutch paintings by Rembrandt during this 20-minute talk. Meet at the Information Desk.

Rembrandt and the Inspiration of India
April 24–June 24, 2018
This 15-minute tour features studies by Rembrandt drawn from Mughal Empire portraiture, artworks that were newly available in Amsterdam through trade which connected East and West.

Michelangelo to Degas: Major New Acquisitions
February 6–April 22, 2018
This 15-minute tour features selections from the exhibition of a spectacular, single acquisition: fifteen drawings and a painting by some of Europe's most celebrated artists, on public view together for a limited time. Meet at the Information Desk.

Caravaggio: Masterpieces of the Galleria Borghese
January 16–February 4, 2018
This 20-minute tour examines Caravaggio's dramatic paintings from across the Italian artist's renowned career. Meet at the Information Desk.

Giovanni Bellini: Landscapes of Faith in Renaissance Venice
November 14, 2017–January 14, 2018
Experience the poetic beauty of High Renaissance painting by master Giovanni Bellini during a 15-minute tour of this exceptional exhibition focused on meditative, evocative landscape within devotional paintings.

Photography in Argentina
October 3–November 12, 2017
This 15-minute tour focuses on several arresting photographs selected from the earliest age of photography in Argentina to those of post-colonial and contemporary life.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Hockney
August 8–October 1, 2017
Join in the celebration of David Hockney's 80th trip around the sun. Explore this London-to-L.A. artist's playful self-portraits or photographs in this lively 15-minute talk.

Rembrandt at the Getty
July 5–August 6, 2017
Engage your mind and senses with the Getty's magnificent collection of paintings created by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn during this 20-minute talk.

Jane and Louise Wilson's Sealander
May 23–June 30, 2017
This 15-minute tour explores a 21st-century multimedia installation that examines the ravages of time and echoes of power in depictions of abandoned Nazi fortifications.

The Breaking News Exhibition
March 21–April 30, 2017
This 15-minute tour focuses on artists whose works have been inspired by newspapers, magazines, and TV programs published and broadcast starting in the 1960s. Much of the work is political; all of it is personal.

The Sculptural Line Exhibition
February 7–March 19, 2017
During this 15-minute exhibition talk, explore drawings and sculpture from the Renaissance to the 20th century, and the complex intersection of these often separated artistic disciplines.

Degas's Russian Dancers
January 10–February 5, 2017
This 15-minute talk focuses on Edgar Degas's great pastel, Russian Dancers (circa 1899).

Shimmer of Gold
December 1, 2016–January 8, 2017
This 15-minute talk explores newly identified parts of a shimmering gold Renaissance altarpiece brought together for the first time in nearly 400 years.

Illuminated Manuscripts
November 1–November 20, 2016
Explore the Medieval and Renaissance history and chemistry of color in a selection of illuminated manuscripts during this 15-minute tour.

Richard Learoyd
October 4–October 30, 2016
Experience the contemplative mood and mesmerizing detail in a selection of Richard Learoyd's large-scale color photographs of the human figure, portraits, and still lifes in this 15-minute tour.

Degas's Russian Dancers
September 6–October 2, 2016
This 15-minute talk explores Edgar Degas's great work, Russian Dancers (circa 1899), and a selection of related artworks from the period.

Rembrandt
July 5–September 4, 2016
In this 15-minute talk, enjoy a rare opportunity to explore some of Rembrandt's earliest paintings, a series of three small works on the theme of the senses, on view for the first time in centuries. Meet at the Information Desk.

French Landscapes
July 5–September 4, 2016
This 15-minute talk explores one of Théodore Rousseau's native French landscapes, which the painter celebrated with acute sensitivity and awareness, as feautured in Unruly Nature, an international loan exhibition.

Russian Dancers
May 31–July 3, 2016
This 15-minute talk explored Edgar Degas's great work, Russian Dancers (circa 1899), and a selection of artworks from the collection that depict popular Parisian entertainments.

Artificial Illumination
May 3–May 29, 2016
Explore an example of artificial illumination in photography featured in the exhibition In Focus: Electric! during this 15-minute talk. Meet at the Information Desk.

Light and Shadow
April 5–May 1, 2016
Explore the masterful depiction of light and shadow in the exhibition Noir: The Romance of Black in 19th-Century French Drawings and Prints during this 15-minute talk. Meet at the Information Desk.

Cross-Cultural Exchange
March 1–April 3, 2016
This 15-minute talk explores an example of cross-cultural exchange during the medieval and Renaissance eras, as featured in the exhibition Traversing the Globe through Illuminated Manuscripts.

A Cosmopolitan Artist
February 2–February 28, 2016
This 15-minute talk explores one of the extraordinarily fine pastel paintings featured in the special installation Jean-Étienne Liotard: A Cosmopolitan Artist.

Ishiuchi Miyako
January 5–January 31, 2016
Explore one of Ishiuchi Miyako's haunting photographs featured in the exhibition, Postwar Shadows, during this 15-minute talk.

Manuscript Illumination
December 1–December 18, 2015
Explore an engaging example of manuscript illumination featured in the exhibition Eat Drink and Be Merry: Food in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, during this 15-minute talk.

What makes a French frame French?
November 3–Sunday, November 22, 2015
Explore one of the exquisitely carved gilt frames in the exhibition Louis Style: French Frames, 1610-1792 during this 15-minute talk.

Is beauty a gift or a curse?
October 27–Sunday, November 1, 2015
Is beauty a gift or a curse? Explore an extraordinary Renaissance plate depicting the abduction of Helen in this 15-minute talk.

The Story of Joseph
October 20–Sunday, October 25, 2015
Would you sell your brother into slavery? Explore an engaging Renaissance depiction of the biblical tale of The Story of Joseph during this 15-minute talk.

Renaissance Cabinet
October 13–Sunday, October 18, 2015
Is it a fake or is it a real work of art? Explore a cabinet and the wonders of Renaissance carving in this 15-minute talk.

Altarpiece
October 6–Sunday, October 11, 2015
Explore a monumental, opulent Renaissance altarpiece during this 15-minute talk.

Christ in Majesty
September 29–Sunday, October 4, 2015
Can hands speak louder than words? Experience the power of medieval hand gesture in Christ in Majesty during this 15-minute talk.

Secretaire
September 22–Sunday, September 27, 2015
Discover the wealth of compartments hidden behind the beautiful façade of Jean-Francois Leleu's Secretaire in this 15-minute talk.

The Annunciation
September 15–Sunday, September 20, 2015
Peer into the intimate yet supernatural interior scene depicted in Dieric Bouts's The Annunciation during this 15-minute talk.

Rococo Paneled Room
September 8–Sunday, September 13, 2015
Step into the extravagance of the Rococo Paneled Room in this 15-minute talk.

Régence Paneled Room
September 1–Sunday, September 6, 2015
Step into the extravagance of the Régence Paneled Room in this 15-minute talk.

Belisarius
August 25–Sunday, August 30, 2015
This 15-minute talk explores the dramatic depiction of Belisarius, the blinded Byzantine general who came to symbolize a Revolution.

St. Catherine of Alexandria
August 18–Sunday, August 23, 2015
Explore the remarkable Renaissance altarpiece that features the life of St. Catherine of Alexandria in this 15-minute talk.

John Singer Sargent
August 11–Sunday, August 16, 2015
Enjoy painter John Singer Sargent's society portrait of Austrian beauty Thérèse, Countess Clary Aldringen, in this 15-minute talk.

Lot and His Daughters
August 4–Sunday, August 9, 2015
Explore the morality tale of Lot and His Daughters as depicted in Orazio Gentileschi's remarkable painting during this 15-minute talk.

Triumph of the Marine Venus
July 28–August 2, 2015
Pay homage to the goddess of love and beauty with the painting, Triumph of the Marine Venus, during this 15-minute talk.

Side Table
July 21–July 26, 2015
How would you use this Side Table? Explore the curious grandeur of Johann Paul Schorr's invention during this 15-minute talk. Meet at the Information Desk.

Manet's Spring
July 14–July 19, 2015
This 15-minute talk explores the newly acquired painting by Édouard Manet, Spring, a portrait embodying the fashionable, modern life of 19th-century Paris.

Meindert Hobbema
July 7–July 12, 2015
Explore the 17th-century village in Dutch painter Meindert Hobbema's charming landscape during this 15-minute talk.

Irises
June 30–July 5, 2015
Explore one of the Getty's most iconic paintings, Vincent Van Gogh's Irises.

Taryn Simon
June 23–June 28, 2015
Explore one of Taryn Simon's controversial photographs featured in the exhibition In Focus: Animalia during this 15-minute talk.

Dancer
June 16–June 21, 2015
Start the day on the right foot and experience the grace and charm of Paolo Troubetzkoy's Dancer during this 15 minute talk.

Christ in Majesty
June 9–June 14, 2015
Can hands speak louder than words? Experience the power of medieval hand gesture in Christ in Majesty during this 15-minute talk. Meet at the Information Desk.

Starry Night
June 2–June 7, 2015
Feel the emotion in Starry Night, an evocative landscape by Edvard Munch, during this 15-minute tour.

The Annunciation
May 26–May 31, 2015
Peer into the intimate yet supernatural interior scene depicted in Dieric Bouts's The Annunciation during this 15-minute talk.

Flight into Egypt
May 19–May 24, 2015
Explore the Renaissance painting Flight into Egypt in this 15-minute talk.

A Chinese Emperor
May 12–May 17, 2015
See a Chinese emperor depicted through European eyes in extraordinary French tapestries during this 15-minute talk.

Manuscripts of Northern Italian Courts
May 5–May 10, 2015
Explore one of the manuscripts featured in the exhibition Renaissance Splendors of the Northern Italian Courts during this 15-minute talk.

Manuscripts of Northern Italian Courts
April 28–May 3, 2015
Explore one of the manuscript leaves featured in the exhibition Renaissance Splendors of the Northern Italian Courts during this 15-minute talk.

Régence Paneled Room
April 21–April 26, 2015
Step into the extravagance of the Régence Paneled Room in this 15-minute talk.

Rococo Paneled Room
April 14–April 19, 2015
Step into the extravagance of the Rococo Paneled Room in this 15-minute talk.

A Walk at Dusk
April 7–April 12, 2015
Explore the haunting, contemplative painting A Walk at Dusk, featured in the exhibition Zeitgeist: Art in the Germanic World, 1800–1900, during this 15-minute talk.

Christ's second coming
March 31–April 5, 2015
Participants explored the satirical, carnivalesque scene of Christ's second coming in James Ensor's monumental painting during this 15-minute talk.

Wild Child
March 24–March 29, 2015
Participants met the wild child of František Kupka's Girl Shading Her Eyes featured in the exhibition Zeitgeist: Art in the Germanic World, 1800—1900 during this 15-minute talk.

What was on her mind?
March 17–March 22, 2015
Take a closer look at Gustav Klimt's Portrait of a Young Woman Reclining featured in the exhibition Zeitgeist: Art in the Germanic World, 1800–1900 during this 15-minute talk. Meet at the Information Desk.

"Check!"
March 10–March 15, 2015
Participants were invited to "Check!" out Marcel Duchamp Playing Chess featured in the exhibition In In Focus: Play during this 15-minute talk.

The Billiard Room
March 3–March 8, 2015
Was it Roger Fenton in The Billiard Room with his camera? Explore his photograph, featured in the exhibition In Focus: Play during this 15-minute talk.

Charles Ray's Boy with Frog
February 24–March 1, 2015
Did you see the giant boy? Return to the steps and encounter Charles Ray's Boy with Frog during this 15-minute talk. Meet at the Information Desk.

Madonna and Child with Donors
February 17–February 22, 2015
Participants explored a Renaissance painting of the Madonna and Child with Donors during this 15-minute talk.

Venus
February 10–February 15, 2015
Participants saw Titian's sensual painting of the goddess Venus and her lover in this 15-minute talk. Meet at the Information Desk.

Slovakia
February 3–February 8, 2015
Participants explored one of Josef Koudelka's iconic photographs featured in the exhibition Nationality Doubtful during this 15-minute talk.

Koudelka
January 27–February 1, 2015
Participants explored one of Josef Koudelka's iconic photographs featured in the exhibition Josef Koudelka: Nationality Doubtful during this 15-minute talk.

Before the Ball
January 20–January 25, 2015
Participants imagined a moment Before the Ball in this fashionable painting during this 15-minute talk.

Beauty gained or beauty lost?
January 13–January 18, 2015
Participants explored the story behind Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's painting in this 15-minute talk.

Initial E: Adoration of the Magi
January 6–January 11, 2015
Participants celebrated the season of gift giving with a wildly colorful illuminated manuscript image of the Magi during this 15-minute talk.



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