Getty Museum’s Revealing Double Feature on Medieval Light and Astrology

The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles is inviting visitors to explore the intersection of science, art, and mysticism in the Middle Ages with two captivating exhibitions, Lumen: The Art and Science of Light and Rising Signs: The Medieval Science of Astrology. These exhibitions are part of the larger PST ART initiative, a regional collaboration that showcases the dialogue between art and science across more than 70 cultural institutions in Southern California.

Lumen: The Art and Science of Light – A Journey Through Medieval Brilliance

The J. Paul Getty Museum’s new exhibition, Lumen: The Art and Science of Light, shines a spotlight on the medieval era’s artistic and scientific fascination with light. Showcasing over 100 works, this collection features gilded manuscripts, celestial maps, and scientific instruments, illustrating how the era’s understanding of light informed both religious and cultural practices.

Curators Kristen Collins and Nancy Turner crafted this exhibition as part of PST ART: Art & Science Collide, an ambitious Southern California initiative that unites over 70 institutions around themes blending artistic expression with scientific inquiry.

Pentecost in a benedictional (detail), about 1030-40 CE. Tempera colors, gold, and ink on parchment, 9 1/8 x 6 5/16 in. Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig VII 1 (83.MI.90), fols. 47v. (with permission Getty Museum)

The exhibition traces the history of light from its earliest Western European studies through the 800–1600 AD period, a time often called the “Long Middle Ages.”

Scholars, influenced by ancient philosophers such as Aristotle and Ptolemy, engaged in detailed studies of astronomy, optics, and geometry, fueling innovations that shaped religious spaces and art. Exhibits include the Horologium Nocturnum, a medieval “night clock” that monks used for evening prayer and early astrolabes, which tracked celestial movements to plan religious observances and daily life activities.

Astrolabe with a Geared Calendar, 1221 or 1222 CE. Muhammad b. Abi Bakr (Iranian, active 1200s CE) (History of Science Museum, University of Oxford, Inv. 48213 (Images © History of Science Museum, University of Oxford)

Contemporary art installations enhance the display with works by modern artists like Helen Pashgian, E.V. Day, and Charles Ross. Day’s piece, Golden Rays (In Vitro), a striking fiber optic monofilament structure, mirrors the glowing rays seen in religious artworks, bridging medieval and modern interpretations of light. Another standout, Charles Ross’s Spectrum 14, uses prisms in a rotunda to project evolving rainbow patterns, illustrating how light changes with the earth’s rotation.

Rising Signs: Medieval Astrology Unveiled

Running concurrently from October 1, 2024, to January 5, 2025, Rising Signs: The Medieval Science of Astrology offers visitors a window into astrology’s integral role in medieval life. Curated by Larisa Grollemond, this exhibit explores astrology as both an ancient science and a cultural force with applications ranging from medicine to divination. The exhibition features manuscripts from the Getty’s collection and rare pieces on loan from the Getty Research Institute, presenting astrology as a serious field studied in universities and used in courts across medieval Europe.

Astrological calendar manuscript pages: left, ‘May’, Right, ‘June’, late 1200s, From Psalter, Getty Museum. (With permission Getty Museum)

Astrology, rooted in the tracking of celestial bodies, provided medieval society with answers to health, agriculture, and even weather. Through imagery like the 12 signs of the zodiac, astrology represented the passage of time, religious practices, and the human body. One notable display is the Zodiac Skeleton, a rare 16th-century illustration of the body’s zodiacal alignment. Medieval doctors used this knowledge to inform treatment plans, aligning therapies with specific astrological signs and celestial occurrences.

Zodiac Skeleton, 1508From Book of Hours, French, Getty Research Institute. (with permission Getty Museum)

In the Divination section, the exhibition highlights astrology’s role in royal courts, where astrologers were revered advisors on matters of marriage, military strategy, and agricultural practices. Interactive displays also allow visitors to find their medieval zodiac sign, adding a modern engagement element that connects today’s fascination with astrology to its medieval roots.

Medieval Art and Science: Bridging Eras of Knowledge

Lumen and Rising Signs provide a dual journey into the Middle Ages, a time when art and science were deeply intertwined. In Lumen, visitors explore how medieval scholars applied the science of light to religious spaces, creating an environment of awe through artistic and architectural techniques. In Rising Signs, the focus shifts to astrology, demonstrating how medieval society used the stars not only to understand the world but to actively shape it through medicine and ritual.

Both exhibitions underscore the medieval period’s pursuit of knowledge, where scientific theories intersected with religious beliefs. Together, they reveal how medieval societies revered light and the stars, using them to understand existence in ways that continue to resonate today.

A Modern Perspective on the Mysticism of the Middle Ages

Lumen and Rising Signs are timely exhibitions that offer rich, immersive experiences into a world where light, stars, and faith intertwined. By featuring both historic artifacts and modern art inspired by these medieval studies, the Getty invites audiences to reflect on the enduring legacy of the Middle Ages’ scientific and artistic achievements. Through these exhibitions, the museum honors how ancient discoveries continue to influence contemporary thought, bridging the distant past with today’s evolving understanding of art and science.

Top image: Left; On the Construction of the World in Book of Divine Works (Liber divinorum operum), about 1210-40 CE. Hildegard of Bingen (Saint)Tempera, gold, and ink on parchment. Biblioteca Statale di Lucca, Ms. 1942, fol. 9, sec. XIII Right; Visitors in the Lumen: The Art and Science of Light exhibition at the Getty Center. Art pictured: Tapestry of the Astrolabes, about 1400-1450 CE Flemish. Cabildo Catedral de Toledo, Primada de España. Toledo, Spain, inv.         Source: Left; By permission of the Ministero della Cultura – Biblioteca Statale di Lucca *No further reproduction or duplication by any means. Right; J. Paul Getty Trust.

By Gary Manners