Roaming through the Getty Center

On Thursday, I headed up to the Getty Center for a look at my old favorite paintings and to see the new exhibitions and acquisitions.

In the Research Institute I explored "Connecting Seas" a visual history of discoveries and encounters when the Europeans visited areas on the planet that were new to them.  The first section is entitled "Orienting the World."  This includes the techniques and tools European explores used to navigate the seas and the human urge to see the world and to define their place in it. The next section is "Expeditions and Exploration."  This includes the reports and objects that the explorers brought back to their homeland.  Some of this resulted in expert investigations of areas discovered and some were hearsay reports.  The final section is "Commerce and Colonialism."  Scholarly investigations were interesting but it was trad and commerce that became the dominant motivation that led to colonization and exploitation of the native people.  The race for control and the empire race dominated the ambitions of many European countries.  Here are photos I some of what I saw:

General Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) justified his military campaign in Egypt from 1798 to 1801 by claiming it would promote Enlightenment values and to "liberate" the Egyptian people....meaning to grab it from the English.  A group of 151 scientists, engineers, and artists traveled with an armada of 400 men and 36,000 men.  These scientists and others amassed an encyclopedia of knowledge of the ancient, modern and natural history of the region.  The military campaign failed but the publication of their findings was published.  The lithograph above by Antoine Maurin is entitled "The Triumph of Trajan," 1824.  It is based on a 1801 drawing titled "The Triumph of Napoleon."  It shows Napoleon seated atop a chariot as he regularly staged elaborate processions regardless of victory or defeat.

"Science in the pillory," 1799 etching by James Gillray (British, 1757-1815)   This is a caricature of a group of perhaps French being chased up "Pompey's Pillar" in Alexandria, Egypt.  

"Column from Temple of Hathor at Dendera, color etching and engraving by Louis-Jean Allais (French, 1762-1839).  The publication in France described the monuments of ancient Egypt

Frontispiece, 1809 of the publication "Description of Egypt" in France comprising 23 bound volumes.

Temple of Hathor at Dendera, etching and engraving by Francois-Noel Sellier 

Zodiac Ceiling in the Temple of Hathor at Dendera, etching and engraving by Louis-Jean Allais

The Spanish conquest of Mexico and Central America led to various expeditions seeking documentation of the remains of the America's ancient civilizations.  "Many explorers wanted to discover undeniable signs that the roots of these civilizations could be found in Europe, Asia, or Africa."  They couldn't believe that the native cultures of the Americas had developed advanced architectural and artistic creations.  This eventually led to a deeper appreciation of Mesoamerican art.
Above is a Bust of an Aztec Priestess lithograph by Jean Massard the Elder (French, 1740-1822).

Drawing of a Ruined Temple 1831 by Agostino Aglio (Italian-British, 1777-187)

Castle at Tulum, 1844 color lithograph by Andrew Picken (British, 1815-45)

The World Empire of France, 1939

German Colonial Game, 1910.  This board game showed the reaches of the German Empire at the time.

Cover and Endpapers with Map of the British Empire, 1943.  The book describes the achievements as well as the problems in maintaining an empire of such vast diversity of peoples, climates, and countries.

The wall description states: "In the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, European powers vied for parts of the African continent, driven by the abundance and variety of its natural resources such as gold, ivory, rubber, and cocoa.  In addition, the trade in slaves from African to the Americas had been a highly organized and lucrative business since the 1600's."
Photography of African peoples often expressed an interest in documenting and understanding local customs and lifestyles of African peoples.