A Getty Masterpiece Buried Not in Ash but in Concrete

Julius Shulman’s wide-angle photos of both the original and renovated Getty Villa (“Seeing Through Time,” by Greg Goldin, Nov. 19) show exactly how the Getty Trust reimagined J. Paul Getty’s amazing re-creation of the Villa dei Papiri in Italy, which was buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79.

I toured the original Getty Villa in 1975. Getty’s meticulous detail and devotion could be seen and felt everywhere. It was like being in Italy as I walked through the gardens and buildings. Like Shulman, this past year I also experienced the renovated Getty Villa, but I was disappointed with the massive pour of concrete everywhere. It’s as though another volcanic eruption came and buried Getty’s masterpiece.

Ray Holm

Westlake Village