10 must-see works and spots at the Getty Center
Quick answer
The Getty Center's must-sees are Van Gogh's Irises, Monet's Wheatstacks, Manet's Spring, Cézanne's Still Life with Apples, Turner's Modern Rome, Robert Irwin's Central Garden and Richard Meier's architecture. Several galleries are under renovation, so confirm what's on view before you go.
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The 10 highlights, by area
Locations can change due to loans and renovations; check the information desk or the GettyGuide app.
- 1
West Pavilion
Irises — Vincent van Gogh (1889)
Painted in the Saint-Rémy sanatorium, it's one of the museum's icons. The white iris among the blues breaks the composition.
- 2
West Pavilion
Wheatstacks, Snow Effect, Morning — Claude Monet (1891)
From the series with which Monet studied the same scene in different light.
- 3
West Pavilion
Spring — Édouard Manet (1881)
A portrait of actress Jeanne Demarsy as an allegory of the season, from Manet's late period.
- 4
West Pavilion
Still Life with Apples — Paul Cézanne (c. 1893–94)
Cézanne flattens perspective and opens the way to Cubism.
- 5
West Pavilion
Modern Rome – Campo Vaccino — J. M. W. Turner (1839)
A Rome dissolved in golden light, close to abstraction.
- 6
West Pavilion
La Promenade — Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1870)
Open-air painting from the years before Impressionism, with a couple walking in a wood.
- 7
Central Garden
Central Garden — Robert Irwin (1997)
A garden conceived as sculpture: the stream, the plaza and the floating azalea maze change with the seasons.
- 8
Whole campus
Richard Meier's architecture (1997)
Italian travertine, an orthogonal plan and framed views: the architecture is part of the collection.
- 9
Terraces
Views over Los Angeles
From downtown to the Pacific, the campus is one of the city's best free viewpoints.
- 10
Exhibition pavilions
Photography and special exhibitions
The Getty holds one of the best photography collections in the U.S.; check getty.edu for current shows.
How to see them in one visit
Group the 19th-century paintings into one loop and leave the gardens for last. Our 2-hour route follows that order. For more depth, point the AnyArt camera at any painting to hear its story.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Van Gogh's Irises?
In the 19th-century painting galleries of the West Pavilion at the Getty Center. Confirm at the information desk, since other galleries are under renovation.
What is the most famous work at the Getty Center?
Van Gogh's Irises, together with Meier's architecture and Irwin's Central Garden.
Does the Getty Center have ancient art?
Greek and Roman antiquities are at the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, not at the Center.
Does it have Picasso?
The Getty Center focuses on European art up to the 19th century and photography; modern art is mostly at LACMA and The Broad.