and Robert Irwin's drawings of the Central Gardens

traces the rise and decline of the culture of curiosity exemplified by the gentleman amateur or dilettante

Excerpts have been selected from the following books and essays: John Ruskin

Together they show how historical narratives came to play a decisive role at the French court and in the process inspired some of the most original and splendid artworks of the time

and Henri Zerner

As I See It: The Autobiography of J. Paul Getty AIA2021 and Robert Irwin's drawings ofWhile writing his autobiography, J. Paul Gettythen perhaps the world's richest manhoped it would be the final verdict on himself, on his many friends and associates, and on his times. Regrettably, it proved to be so: Getty died in 1976 as As I See It was going to press. Now reissued with a number of additional illustrations, this lively autobiography introduces the famed tycoon to a new generation of readers. In its urbanity, wit, insight, and