All events are free, unless otherwise noted. Seating reservations are required. For reservations and information, please call (310) 440-7300 or see information on planning a visit.

Lectures

Florence, Cradle of the Renaissance: A Conversation with Peter Weller

Actor (Dexter, 24, Robocop, among others), director, and art historian Peter Weller draws upon his experience studying in Florence to discuss the dynamic artistic, political, economic, and religious climate that flourished in early Renaissance Florence in a conversation with Christine Sciacca, curator of Florence at the Dawn of the Renaissance: Painting and Illumination, 1300–1350.

Thursday, November 29, 2012, 7:00 p.m.
Harold M. Williams Auditorium

Giotto and the Invention of Italian Painting

Keith Christiansen, the John Pope-Hennessy Chairman of European Paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, discusses Giotto as the key figure in redirecting Italian painting, and considers his canonical frescoes in Padua.

Saturday, February 2, 2013, 4:00 p.m.
Harold M. Williams Auditorium

Symposium

New Approaches to Painting and Illumination in the Time of Giotto

This symposium brings together an international group of scholars to evaluate the artistic and cultural world of early 14th-century Florence. Topics include the relationships between panel painting and manuscript illumination, devotional life, the music of lay confraternities, and technical studies of objects related to the exhibition. Symposium fee $20; $15 students/seniors.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013, 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Museum Lecture Hall

Learn more about this event.

Download the symposium program (PDF, 5.43 MB)

Gallery Courses

Art and Influence: Florence at the Dawn of the Renaissance and Beyond

Florence, considered the birthplace of the Renaissance in Italy, was home to immense artistic activity, including the production of elaborate panel paintings and luxury manuscripts. Join Christine Sciacca and Bryan Keene of the Department of Manuscripts in this gallery course exploring artistic creativity and innovation in all media in Florence from the early 1300s through the early 1500s. Course fee $20 (parking not included).

Saturday, December 1, 2012, 3:00–5:00 p.m.
Research Institute Lecture Hall

Church, Color, and Cuisine in the Early Renaissance

Join culinary historian and author Linda Civitello for this gallery course exploring connections among religion, art, and food in the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. Discover how churches, paintings, and banquet halls were filled with vibrant and symbolic color providing food for the soul, eye, and body while reflecting Florentine notions of virtue and vice. Course fee $20 (parking not included). Open to 35 participants.

Sunday, February 3, 2013, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Research Institute Lecture Hall

Studio and Culinary Courses

Culinary Workshop: Taste of Tuscany

Tuscany was an important artistic and culinary center in the late medieval and early Renaissance period. Join food historian Linda Civitello to explore the rich and colorful cooking traditions of the region in this hands-on workshop. Participants tour the exhibition Florence at the Dawn of the Renaissance: Painting and Illumination, 1300–1350, sample regional olive oils, and prepare historic recipes for a class meal. Course fee $75 (parking not included). Open to 20 participants.

Thursday, November 29, 2012, 10:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Course repeats Friday, November 30, 2012, 11:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Private Dining Room

The Luminous Panel: The Art of Egg Tempera Painting

For centuries artists have cultivated the fine art of egg-based tempera painting for its delicate and luminous effects. Join artist Sylvana Barrett for this daylong studio workshop exploring both historic and modern techniques for working with this versatile medium. Make egg-based tempera paints using raw materials and learn to work on traditional wood panels. Course fee $135 (includes materials and lunch; parking not included). Open to 22 participants.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012, 10:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Course repeats Wednesday, February 6, 2013.
Museum Studios

Artist-at-Work Demonstrations

Panel Painting

Panel paintings from the dawn of the Italian Renaissance shimmer with gold leaf and paints made from semiprecious stones. Join artist Sylvana Barrett as she demonstrates the historic materials and techniques used to make these treasured works of art. This is a free, drop-in program.

Sundays, November 18 and 25, and December 2, 16, and 30, 2012; 1:00–3:00 p.m.
Sundays, January 6 and 20, 2013; 1:00–3:00 p.m.
Museum Studios

Curator's Gallery Talks

Christine Sciacca, assistant curator of Manuscripts, the J. Paul Getty Museum, leads a gallery talk on the exhibition. Meet under the stairs in the Museum Entrance Hall. Free; no reservations required.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012, 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 13, 2012, 1:30 p.m.

Performance

Gordon Getty Concert: Lionheart

One of America's leading ensembles in vocal chamber music, Lionheart is known for its soaring artistry as well as its masterful musical scholarship. Acclaimed for its "smoothly blended and impeccably balanced sound" (New York Times), the ensemble performs a thrilling program of songs from the illuminated pages of the Laudario of Sant'Agnese, on view in the exhibition. Tickets $20; $15 students/seniors.

Learn more about this event.

Saturday, December 1, 2012, 7:00 p.m.
Harold M. Williams Auditorium

At the Restaurant

Prix-Fixe Tasting Menus

Special prix-fixe tasting menus are offered at the Restaurant to celebrate the exhibition. The lunch menu is served Tuesday–Saturday; the dinner menu is served on Saturday evenings. Restaurant reservations are recommended. Call (310) 440-6810, or make reservations online.

Download the lunch menu (PDF, 143KB)
Download the dinner menu (PDF, 154KB)

Florentine Family Lunch

Fashioned after the time-honored tradition of Italian family meals, this four-course luncheon features a bounty of food presented on platters to be shared at communal tables. Relax with family and friends, sip Prosecco, and listen to wonderful Trecento music from Renaissance Florence. After lunch, tour the exhibition Florence at the Dawn of the Renaissance at your leisure and marvel at works of art that launched major creative endeavors in history. $65 per person.

Sunday, November 18, and December 16, 2012; seating at 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 20, 2013; seating at 12:30 p.m.
For reservations, call (310) 440-6212.

Download the family lunch menu (PDF, 143KB)

GettyGuide® Multimedia Player

Join actor Peter Weller and Getty curators in exploring the social and artistic changes in Florence at the dawn of the Renaissance. Pick up a multimedia player free of charge in the Museum Entrance hall.