"The Getty"

Last Wednesday Dave's kids took us to the Getty.

The Getty Museum, close to Los Angeles, is full of art but is also an amazing work of art itself.  It was designed by Richard Meier and paid for by J. Paul Getty.  

It's built into the side of a mountain.  

Both J. Paul Getty and Richard Meier were and are fascinating guys.

J. Paul Getty was a billionaire back when that was a lot of money.  He's the guy who refused to pay the ransom when his grandson was kidnapped until the kidnappers mailed him the grandson's ear - and promised more body parts would come.  Still, Getty negotiated the ransom down a bit.  The grandson was rescued but never really survived the trauma.

Getty's also the guy who had a pay phone installed in his mansion. 

But he did some good things as well.  One of them was to fund the arts. Hence, the Getty Museum.

Richard Meier is famous for designing white buildings.  I've seen several.  All stunning. Last spring we toured his museum in Rome.  While it's magnificent, I didn't like seeing this contemporary stark white structure in this ancient city. 

But the Getty is his greatest.  And it's free.


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