Collection and Identity: A Reappraisal of J. Paul Getty’s Ancient Art Collecting by Kirsten Gabrielle Desperrier A Thesis submitted to Sonoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in History Dr. Steve Estes, Jr. Dr. Michelle Jolly Dr. Samuel Cohen Copyright 2018 By Kirsten Gabrielle Desperrier Authorization for Reproduction of Master’s Thesis I grant permission for the print or digital reproduction of this thesis in its entirety, without further authorization from me, on the condition that the person or agency requesting reproduction absorb the cost and provide proper acknowledgment of authorship. iii Collection and Identity: A Reappraisal of J. Paul Getty’s Ancient Art Collecting Thesis by Kirsten Gabrielle Desperrier ABSTRACT Purpose of Study: To examine J. Paul Getty’s ancient art collection that he acquired within in his life-time. The motivation behind Getty’s art collecting and philanthropy are examined and reassessed, as well as his inspiration for the founding of his museum the Getty Villa. The history of ancient Greco-Roman art collectors from ancient Rome, 17th- 19th century Britain, and 20th century American collectors are analyzed in relation to Getty’s place in the history of ancient art collectors. The influence of the Getty Villa on the intellectual identity of Los Angeles is explored, as is Getty’s lasting legacy on the museum landscape of the area. Procedure: To assess J. Paul Getty as a collector and philanthropist by using his autobiographies and personal journals from 1938-1976. The Getty Family Papers include the history of Getty’s ancient art collecting, and provided documents, such as receipts, customs documents, inventory lists and correspondence between Getty and art dealers. These primary source documents were cross referenced with other primary and secondary sources. The Dr. Norman Neuerburg Papers also provided a history of the research, design, and construction of the Getty Villa as well as providing the reaction of the media to the museum. Findings: J. Paul Getty was found to be an intellectual ancient art collector who educated himself on Greco-Roman art through the study of books and by visitation to ancient sites. He also employed scholars to guide his study both in museums and at archeological sites. Getty utilized his elite social network of collectors and art dealers to further his ability to acquire ancient art. The motivation to found his museum was one of altruism and he wanted to elevate the individual and society through art appreciation. Conclusion: J. Paul Getty collected ancient Greco-Roman ancient art not for monetary gain, but was a serious art connoisseur that had a real intellectual interest in the ancient world. In the process of changing his own intellectual identity Getty sought to change society through art. Getty’s legacy through his philanthropy has influenced the cultural and intellectual identity of the city of Los Angeles and the public at large. MA Program: History Date: May 3, 2018 Sonoma State University iv Table of Contents Chapter Page Introduction…………………………………………………………...1 I. Collectors………………………………………………………….17 It Began in Rome…………………………………………………18 Rediscovering the Ancients……………………………………….29 All Great Men Want Their Place in History……………………....40 II. Getty-The Collector………………………………….....................48 The Early Years…………………………………………………...48 Getty Begins to Collect……………………………………………52 III. Getty and His Museum……………………………………………71 The Getty Villa…………………………………………………....78 IV. Conclusion- Getty’s Legacy……………………………………....91 Bibliography……………………………………………………....101 v 1 INTRODUCTION J. Paul Getty is an enigmatic and complicated figure from the twentieth century. He is well known for being the world’s wealthiest man, his immense oil empire, for being a womanizer, and for his dysfunctional family life. Beyond all of this tabloid fodder is a story about a man who was one of the great collectors of ancient Roman and Greek art in the modern age. His collection is one of largest in America, only behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.1 As a young man Getty began collecting, and in 1939 he purchased his first piece of Roman art.2 In this same year Getty on one of his many visits to Rome wrote in his journal about his experience at the forum: “Sitting on the steps of the basilica…I felt the life of the old, old days.”3 Getty collected many different types of art, but it was the ancient Greco-Roman world that captured his imagination. Collecting art was a lifelong pursuit, that would culminate in the founding the Getty Villa museum. Getty had his own opinions about art, collecting, and philanthropy. “The true collector does not acquire objects for himself alone,” Getty wrote. He believed that art could change society, arguing, “In my opinion an individual without any love of the arts cannot be considered completely civilized,”, adding, “At the same time, it is extremely difficult and sometimes impossible, to interest people in works of art unless they can see them and know something about them. It was for this reason that I established the J. Paul 1 Robert Lenzner, The Great Getty, (New York, Crown Publishers, Inc., 1985), 195. 2 J.P. Getty, The Joys of Collecting, (Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Trust, 1965), ix. 3 J.P. Getty Diary, Oct 14, 1939, The Getty Foundation, Digital Collections, accessed November 17, 2017, http://rosettaapp.getty.edu:1801/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE279271&change_lng=. 2 Getty Museum.”4 Getty was even more blunt in his autobiography As I See It when he wrote, “The difference between a barbarian and a full-fledged member of a cultivated society is an individual’s attitude toward fine art.”5 While Getty was one of the great philanthropic men of our time, the motivation behind his actions have met with criticisms and disdain. Upon the closer examination of the secondary sources that focus on Getty’s dysfunctional personal life, they also viewed Getty’s philanthropy and collecting with much cynicism and disbelief. These judgements range from Getty’s collection impulse being purely ego-driven and about social status, to his philanthropy being for investment or just wanting a tax write off. Getty was an imperfect and complicated man and this will not be an aggrandizing biographical sketch of J.P. Getty. What has been written about Getty usually falls into two categories, and either portray him as a villain or a saint. The original intent of this thesis was to research Getty’s ancient art collection that he had personally acquired and what was his motivation. In the process of this research I discovered that Getty was not viewed as an intellectual collector, or even as a collector that appreciated art in secondary sources. One facet of this thesis is to illustrate that Getty was not a one-dimensional art collector and refute the claims that he acquired art for financial gain. My aim is to take an objective look at Getty as a collector, an intellectual, and a philanthropist, while exploring how he shaped his own intellectual identity. In the process of Getty’s own transformation he sought to change the identity of the West Coast by bringing art to Los Angeles. Getty’s philanthropy and museum played a vital part in the evolution of the intellectual and cultural landscape of Los Angeles. 4 J.P. Getty. The Joys of Collecting, 2. 5 J.P. Getty, As I See It, (Los Angeles, Prentice-Hall, 1976), 276. 3 In this thesis I examine three very different time periods, Ancient Rome, the British Empire, and twentieth century America, which are separated by hundreds and thousands of years. Terms such as social status and intellectual identity are applied and used to explain social norms and personal mores of the time. While these terms may seem uniform in their definitions when applied to each period, they are not. There are certain nuances in the meaning of the terms. For instance, social status will not mean the same in twentieth century America as it did in Ancient Rome. As a consequence, key terms will be defined at appropriate junctures within the thesis. While Getty emulated men from Ancient Rome, the British Empire and his own time, terms like intellectual identity can’t be generalized and will have specific meaning when applied to him. For Getty his intellectual identity was complex. He was an American at heart who loved hamburgers and pancakes but became a devoted anglophile who lived the last quarter century of his life in Europe. He styled himself after the English gentry, starting with a classical education and ended with a country estate. He was a cunning businessman, dedicated to oil exploration. He never retired and worked until his death. Yet Getty was more than just an American oilman, as he identified with ancient Rome and felt a kinship with the likes of Hadrian and Julius Caesar. He was an avid art collector, and his true passion was ancient Greco-Roman art. The ancient world captured Getty’s imagination and would lead to the connection with British ancient art collectors. The connection Britain felt towards ancient Rome was profound. Ancient Greek and Roman texts were an integral part of a gentlemen’s classical education, which Getty received at Oxford, and the ancient Greco-Roman world were part of who the British were. These two cultures—ancient Roman and the British gentry—shaped who Getty was 4 both internally and externally. Connections to these cultures, particularly to their art, underpinned his intellectual identity. The influence of Greek and Roman art played a critical role in Getty’s intellectual identity. He built upon his classical education and was able to acquire many of the physical monuments of the ancient world he had read about.