Arts News

Aphrodite and the Gods of Love open March 28 at The Getty Villa

By April MacIntyre Feb 29, 2012, 5:01 GMT

The Getty Villa is a must-see destination when in the Los Angeles area.

The Getty Villa is a must-see destination when in the Los Angeles area.

How well do you know Aphrodite, the fabled goddess of love?

For the Greeks as well as the Romans (who called her Venus), Aphrodite's power extended far beyond the realms of sex, desire, and marriage. 
  
Typically associated with love, beauty and sex, the Greek goddess Aphrodite was a much more complex figure. Not only could she be manipulative and destructive in matters of the heart, especially together with her companion Eros, but her domain extended far beyond desire and romance. Worshipped throughout the ancient Mediterranean by men and women, young and old, Aphrodite was connected with maritime affairs, civic harmony, and even warfare.

From The Getty

This new Getty Villa exhibition presents the goddess in her manifold aspects—exploring her precursors in the ancient Near East, her offspring, and her devotees—and culminates with her incorporation and adaptation in Roman religion as Venus. It features a stunning range of objects, from large-scale sculpture to delicate jewelry, drawn from the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the J. Paul Getty Museum, as well as major loans from Italian institutions.

Aphrodite and the Gods of Love was organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in association with the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Visit the Exhibition, free admission  Tickets

Related Events

Lecture—Playing with Eros: Riddles and Rhymes
Thursday, April 19, 7:30 p.m.
Christine Kondoleon of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, discusses the role of Eros, Aphrodite's son, in the realms of human desire, sex, and love. MORE

Symposium—Excavating Aphrodite
Friday, April 20, 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
An international group of scholars present recent archaeological research from throughout the Mediterranean that sheds new light on the conceptualization of the fascinating goddess. 

The Getty Villa sits on top the Pacific Coast Highway, with the main gate on Pacific Coast Highway opening to ticketed guests at 6:00 p.m. The auditorium opens at 7:00 p.m.