Virtue and Vice

Exhibition
Ink drawing of a frog sitting on top of coins, clutching a spherical object in one hand and has it's left leg sticking out toward the viewer.

Allegory of Avarice (detail), about 1609, Jacques de Gheyn II. Pen and brown ink. Getty Museum

This rotation from Getty’s collection explores how European artists from the 16th to 19th centuries made drawings to criticize bad behavior as well as praise virtuous deeds. Drawings of proper and improper conduct range from straightforward examples (charity, lust, and greed) to complex allegories (virtue, decadence, and friendship). Whether warning against sinful ways or celebrating how one should behave, drawings visualized moral codes, political ideologies, and social norms.

This exhibition is presented in English and Spanish. Esta exhibición se presenta en inglés y en español.

Mar 3–Jun 7, 2026

Getty Center

Museum West Pavilion, Plaza Level

Free

All exhibitions are included in your free, timed-entry reservation to Getty. Reservations are available six weeks in advance. Please note, there is a fee for parking.

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Contact

Media Contact: Sidney Kantono

For press inquiries related to this exhibition, please email skantono@getty.edu