Author Robert Edsel discusses his new book Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation's Treasures from the Nazi
Sunday, June 2, 2013, 3 p.m.
At the J. Paul Getty Museum, Getty Center
Cover of Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation's Treasures from the Nazis
Photo from the Deane Keller Papers, Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University
LOS ANGELES—On the eve of the Allied invasion of Italy in August 1943, Allied bombs threatened Michelangelo's David and nearly destroyed Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. What unfolded is the true story of the race to save great European masterpieces. On June 2, Robert Edsel will discuss his newest book, Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation's Treasures from the Nazis at the Getty Center.
The book follows Monuments officers Deane Keller (a portrait painter and art professor) and Fred Hartt (an art scholar), who raced to discover the location of billions of dollars of missing artwork taken from the great museums in Florence and Naples as they served alongside frontline troops. With the whereabouts of the art unknown to the Allies, a heretofore obscure SS general holds the works hostage while negotiating a secret Nazi surrender with American spies.
“Edsel’s recovery of the history of the Monuments Men makes for a remarkable and fascinating story,” said Dr. Timothy Potts, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum. “As more recent conflicts have shown, the havoc that war can wreak upon our artistic heritage has unfortunately not diminished and there are important lessons in this book for policy makers and all who care about the preservation of the world’s artistic legacy for future generations.”
Robert M. Edsel
Signed copies of Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation's Treasures from the Nazis, will be available for purchase at the event.
This event is presented in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute, Los Angeles.
Saving Italy: The Monuments Men, Nazis, and War
Date: Sunday, June 2, 2013
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: Harold M. Williams Auditorium, Getty Center
Admission: Free; reservations recommended. Call (310) 440-7300 or visit the event site.
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The J. Paul Getty Trust is an international cultural and philanthropic institution devoted to the visual arts that includes the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Research Institute, the Getty Conservation Institute, and the Getty Foundation. The J. Paul Getty Trust and Getty programs serve a varied audience from two locations: the Getty Center in Los Angeles and the Getty Villa in Malibu.
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