The Fantasy of the Middle Ages

Getty Center, Los Angeles

June 21 – September 11, 2022

Saint George and the Dragon, about 1450– 55, Master of Guillebert de Mets (Flemish, active about 1410–50). Tempera colors, gold leaf, and ink on parchment, 19.4 × 14 cm (7 5/8 × 5 1/2 in.). Getty Museum, Ms. 2 (84.ML.67), fol. 18v

Stolzenfels Castle, 1878 C. Hertel (German, active 1860s–1870s). Albumen silver print 9.8 × 14.8 cm (3 7/8 × 5 13/16 in.) Getty Museum 84.XP.1156.5

Fairies in a Bird’s Nest, 1860. John Anster Fitzgerald (English, 1823–1906). Oil on canvas, 40.6 × 48.3 cm (16 × 19 in.) Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Museum purchase, Grover A. Magnin Bequest Fund and Volunteer Council Art Acquisition Fund

The Waiting Maid Sprang Down First and Maid Maleen Followed, 1917. Arthur Rackham (English, 1867–1939). Engraving 19 cm (7 1/2 in.) Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA EX.2022.3.3

The Battle Between Arnault de Lorraine and His Wife Lydia, 1467–1472 Loyset Liédet (Flemish, active about 1448 – 1478) and Pol Fruit (Flemish, active about 1468) Tempera colors, gold leaf, and gold paint on parchment 23.7 × 18.9 cm (9 5/16 × 7 7/16 in.) Getty Museum Ms. Ludwig XIII 6, leaf 11 (83.MP.149.11.recto)

A Dragon, about 1270. Unknown, Franco-Flemish. Tempera colors, gold leaf, and ink on parchment, 19.1 × 14.3 cm (7 1/2 × 5 5/8 in.) Getty Museum. Ms. Ludwig XV 3 (83.MR.173), fol. 89

The Parting of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere, 1875. Julia Margaret Cameron (British, born India, 1815– 1879). Albumen silver print 33.8 × 28.1 cm (13 5/16 × 11 1/16 in.) Getty Museum. 84.XO.732.1.1.10

Sir Thopas, 1930, Rockwell Kent (American, 1882–1971)’. Paper, 38.8 × 26.2 × 3.9 cm (15 1/4 × 10 5/16 × 1 9/16 in.) Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Rights courtesy of Plattsburgh State Art Museum, State University of New York, USA, Rockwell Kent Collection, Bequest of Sally Kent Gorton. All rights reserved.

From fairytales to theme parks and Harry Potter to Game of Thrones, the Middle Ages have been mythologized, dramatized, and re-envisioned time and again, proving an irresistible point of inspiration for creative reinterpretations. The stories and images of vibrant illuminated manuscripts have informed countless genres – of which fantasy is one of the most prevalent and revealing. 

Spanning two galleries and divided into five sections, The Fantasy of the Middle Ages (on view at the Getty Center in Los Angeles from June 21 – September 11, 2022) looks closely at medieval inspiration in the storytelling and art of many creators, including the Brothers Grimm, J.R.R. Tolkien, Howard Pyle, Arthur Rackham, and Disney Studio artists. 

“Drawn from the Getty Museum’s singular collection of medieval manuscripts, together with select objects from later centuries, this exhibition examines how works of fantasy blend historical source material with legendary or magical elements in the creation of characters, creatures, and cultures that have captured readers’ imaginations for centuries,” says Timothy Potts, Maria Hummer-Tuttle and Robert Tuttle Director of the Getty Museum. “We are fortunate to have a rich and diverse collection of manuscripts – and a group of highly creative curators – that allows us to explore this and many other themes through constantly rotating exhibitions.”

“The Middle Ages continually inspire revivalist versions of art, literature, photography, film, immersive reenactments, video games, and much more. This exhibition will capture some of the magic that this period evokes, while also exploring themes of gender, sexuality, race, and religion in both medieval and modern fantasy,” says Bryan C. Keene, assistant professor of art history at Riverside City College and former associate curator of manuscripts at Getty.

The exhibition’s first section, The Medieval Imagination, concentrates on the close relationship between history and fantasy in the Middle Ages. Medieval works provided inspiration for centuries of reinterpretations of their costumes, settings, and architecture. 

A Magical Middle Ages looks at the emergence of fairies, goblins, wizards, and more in the revival of “once upon a time" folktales, lore, and handcrafts, and includes magic wands alongside prints and books that reimagine witches, dragons, and other magical creatures as part of the Middle Ages. 

King Arthur and Camelot highlights one of the most beloved and retold medieval stories – featuring Queen Guinevere, the wizard Merlin, and the knights of the Round Table – by pairing an illuminated manuscript with prints, photographs, and books related to historical re-imaginings of this legendary figure and his court. Staging the Middle Ages explores the chivalric drama of medieval tournaments and pageants during the postmedieval period, including Andy Warhol’s pop-up castle and costume studies for Hollywood films. 

Finally, The Middle Ages on Location brings the settings of the Middle Ages into view, from castles to cathedrals, forests, and faraway lands, as they are presented in movies and video games—all recognizable places included in medieval-inspired films and television, as well as familiar scene-setting concept art for Disney’s Sleeping Beautyand the prop book from The Sword in the Stone. 

The Middle Ages live on in myriad ways in popular culture and as collectible items. A display of objects from the personal collections of Getty staff connects the themes of the exhibition and shows the endurance of fantasies of the Middle Ages today. Expect to find miniatures from Dungeons & Dragons, the whimsical artwork of Magic: The Gathering cards, game cartridges for The Legend of Zelda, Halloween costumes, Lord of the Rings ephemera, Barbie royalty, and much more.

“This exhibition pulls back the curtain on some of the original scenes that have moved artists and storytellers for centuries,” says Larisa Grollemond, Assistant Curator of Manuscripts of the J. Paul Getty Museum. “Our hope is that visitors relish drawing connections between the illuminated manuscripts and the works they inspired.” 

Concept Art, 1958. Eyvind Earle (American, 1916-2000) From Sleeping Beauty (Walt Disney Productions). Gouache on board 23.5 × 55.2 cm (9 1/4 × 21 3/4 in.) Hilbert Collection. © Disney Enterprises, Inc.

This exhibition is accompanied by a publication, The Fantasy of the Middle Ages: An Epic Journey through Fantasy Medieval Worlds.

This abundantly illustrated book is an illuminating exploration of the impact of medieval imagery on three hundred years of visual culture.
 
From the soaring castles of Sleeping Beauty to the bloody battles of Game of Thrones, from Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings to mythical beasts in Dungeons & Dragons, and from Medieval Times to the Renaissance Faire, the Middle Ages have inspired artists, playwrights, filmmakers, gamers, and writers for centuries. Indeed, no other historical era has captured the imaginations of so many creators.

This volume aims to uncover the many reasons why the Middle Ages have proven so applicable to a variety of modern moments from the eighteenth through the twenty-first century. These “medieval” worlds are often the perfect ground for exploring contemporary cultural concerns and anxieties, saying much more about the time and place in which they were created than they do about the actual conditions of the medieval period. With over 140 color illustrations, from sources ranging from thirteenth-century illuminated manuscripts to contemporary films and video games, and a preface by Game of Thrones costume designer Michele Clapton, The Fantasy of the Middle Ages will surprise and delight both enthusiasts and scholars.