Research & Conservation

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Vast resources for educators, scholars, and visual arts professionals

Search & Explore

  1. Tools & Databases

    12+ search tools and databases to find articles, provenance records, and much more

    Find your tool

  2. Getty Library

    45+ miles of books, journals, auction catalogs, rare photographs, archives, and other special collections

    Use the Library

  3. Free Online Books

    300+ of our publications in 30 topic areas for download

    Read a book

  4. Teaching Resources

    Dozens of adaptable resources for teaching and learning about conservation and cultural heritage management

    Find a teaching resource

Resource Spotlight: Getty Vocabularies

Mona Lisa or La Gioconda? Gaochang or Qara-Hoja? Researchers worldwide use our structured terminology for art, architecture and more

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Resources for All

Databases, publications, and more tools for general or specialized research and study

Access More in Person

Visit the Getty Center or Villa to make use of all we offer

  1. Getty Library

    45+ miles of books, journals, auction catalogs, rare photographs, archives, and other special collections

    Use the Library

  2. Special Collections

    Rare source materials related to art history and visual culture

    Request access

  3. Reference Assistance for Conservation Professionals

    Customized reference assistance for the specialized Conservation Collection

    Consult a librarian
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Our Research

See All Projects

Project Expanding the Study of Performance in Women Artists' Archives

Interrogating the historiography of feminist performance art

Black and white photograph of female figure draped in white fabric with a painted face and feathers on head, holding a tall board attached to a fan.

Project PST ART: Art & Science Collide

A landmark regional event that explored the intersections of art and science, both past and present

Architectural model-style installation featuring miniature buildings in varied styles and materials, arranged around a central leaf-shape.

Project African American Historic Places Los Angeles

Increasing recognition and improving conservation of African American heritage through more inclusive and equitable preservation practices

A one-story house sits on a quiet neighborhood street in the afternoon sunlight.

Project Van Gogh’s Irises: A Closer Look

Reconsidering Van Gogh’s Irises through material analysis and advanced imaging to understand its history and help ensure its preservation

Inverted image of Vincent van Gogh's painting "Irises" in which the colors are all in bright neons of blue, green and magenta.

Training & Professional Development

  1. Curriculum Workshop for Higher Ed: Teaching with Ed Ruscha’s Streets of Los Angeles

    Event

    Overexposed photograph of cars in the foreground with palm trees in the background.

    This virtual workshop on March 4, 2026 will explore Ed Ruscha’s Streets of Los Angeles archive, a collection of over 700,000 images, and a recent digital publication of multidisciplinary scholarship on the archive. The workshop will provide an overview of both the archive and book and explain how both can serve as a launching pad for engaging students in discussions on Ed Ruscha and postwar American photography, as well as the architecture of Los Angeles and emerging practices in art history.

    Mar 4, 2026

  2. Submit to the Getty Research Journal

    Announcement

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    We are pleased to invite submissions to the Getty Research Journal, an open-access publication presenting peer-reviewed articles on the visual arts of all cultures, regions, and time periods. Submissions are accepted through the journal’s portal on Scholastica, which will reopen on January 2, 2026. The next submission deadline is January 30, 2026.

    Jan 30, 2026

Who We Are

  1. Research Institute

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    An international center for the study of visual art

  2. Conservation Institute

    Two conservators scan a wall painting to analyze its composition.

    Advancing conservation practice

  3. Museum

    Wearing a dress covered in butterflies and a wide-brimmed white hat, a visitor looks at a wall of paintings.

    Fostering engagement and understanding of art through two locations

  4. Foundation

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    Grants that advance the arts around the world