The acquisitions include a Hellenistic ring from approximately 150 B.C.E. (photo courtesy of Getty)

The J. Paul Getty Museum has recently acquired new objects for its permanent collection: a Hellenistic ring; a drawing by Swedish artist Hilma af Klint; a sculpture by Italian Renaissance artist Andrea della Robbia; a triptych by Cuban-born artist María Magdalena Campos-Pons; and a collection of 17 photographs by African American artists Ray Francis, Herman Howard, James “Jimmie” Mannas Jr. and Chester Higgins.

“The Getty Museum continues to expand its collections with new works that enrich our visitors’ experience of the major periods and movements of European art history, at the same time diversifying the narratives and perspectives that can be brought to their understanding and enjoyment,” Getty Museum director Tim Potts said. “These works – a selection of recent acquisitions – not only strengthen the breadth and depth of our permanent collection, but also open fresh avenues for scholarship, interpretation and connection with our audiences.”

With the acquisition of the Hellenistic ring, Getty adds one of the finest and best-preserved surviving examples of the ancient jewelry type. Crafted around 150 B.C.E., the elaborate gold ring boasts an oval, box-shaped bezel, holding a large domed rock crystal through which can be seen a beautiful garden scene of miniature gold and enamel flowers and filigree oak leaves.

The watercolor by af Klint was created in 1903 during a seminal period before her transition to abstraction and is a stellar example of her naturalistic style. Depicted is a forest bathed in warm sunlight – a popular motif in Scandinavian art around 1900 – and a moss-covered forest floor with birch and pine trees populating the scene. By using a palette of rich blues and greens, af Klint masterfully rendered the lush flora and utilized the white of the paper to replicate the milky white bark of the birch trees.

The life-size glazed terracotta sculpture by Andrea della Robbia depicts Saint Anthony, a 3rd and 4th century Christian hermit known for his practice of severe self-discipline, who later became a guiding figure for hermit monks following his example. While no documents have yet been found to identify the original context for which Saint Anthony the Abbot was made, it likely originated from a building located in Tuscany between 1510 and 1515.

Cuban-born photographer Campos-Pons has made vibrant, visually and socially engaging artworks for more than 40 years, and in her oeuvre has returned to the eye as a symbol of witnessing and attending to the world with care and empathy. In the central image of the triptych, George Floyd – who was murdered by police officers in 2020 – looks out from a thicket of foliage, his exhalation appearing as a plantlike growth of eyes. In the two side components of the work, Campos-Pons applied watercolor, ink and gouache atop digital photographs to illustrate plants and flowers in various stages of lifecycles. The triptych is Campos-Pons’ return to the eye motif and showcases her hope that the growing force of witnessing might help prevent further violence.

The museum has acquired a collection of 17 photographs from the 1960s through 1990s by three artists associated with the Kamoinge Workshop (Ray Francis, Herman Howard and James Mannas Jr.), as well as photographs by Chester Higgins.

The collection of photographs enables the museum to more comprehensively document the work of the Kamoinge Workshop and continues to build upon important recent efforts to represent Black artistic expression more conscientiously.

The Getty Center is located at 1200 Getty Center Drive.

For information, visit getty.edu.