Following its 50th anniversary and major exterior improvement project in 2025, the Norton Simon Museum is now fully reopened and ready to reintroduce itself to the community. Whether you are a regular or have yet to visit, it is the perfect time to experience all the Museum has to offer. In this short video, learn about the Museum's celebrated collection, beloved sculpture garden, public programs and events, and so much more. Welcome to the Norton Simon Museum!
NOW ON VIEW: “Dear Little Friend: Impressions of Galka Scheyer” offers an intimate view of the German-born art dealer and collector Galka Scheyer (1889–1945), known for her pivotal role in bringing European modernism to the United States and promoting the so-called Blue Four—Lyonel Feininger, Alexei Jawlensky, Paul Klee and Vassily Kandinsky. This focus exhibition looks at her legacy through a lesser-known aspect of her life—the friendships she forged with both artists and supporters.
⌨️ “Dear Little Friend: Impressions of Galka Scheyer” is on view through July 20, 2026.
📱 Tap the link in bio for more info.
What’s your favorite detail in Roelandt Savery’s “Landscape with Ruins and Animals” (1624)? 🐄 🕊️ 🐒
A versatile artist and superb draftsman, Savery painted flower pieces, still lifes and genre scenes. However, his landscapes—filled with a variety of flora and fauna and painted with a miniaturist’s attention to detail—earned him the admiration of artists and collectors.
“Landscape with Ruins and Animals” presents a multifarious view divided in half by the looming arch on the left, and further broken into smaller, detailed sections. Because of the variety of objects and views, no single motif dominates. The painting comes alive through its highly detailed depiction of animals, foliage, rocks, and ruins.
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Roelandt Savery (Flemish, 1576-1639), Landscape with Ruins and Animals,1624, oil on panel, The Norton Simon Foundation
Claude Monet gave this painting to his friend, a journalist named Antoine Lafont, who served as a witness at Monet’s marriage in June 1870. In the lower left corner is the inscription: “À son ami Lafont, 1870."
This brisk early seascape served as a sketch for a large-scale painting—now lost—that Monet exhibited in 1868 at the Salon, the annual state-sponsored exhibition of art in Paris. He likely painted it during a visit to his family at Le Havre, the Normandy port town where he had grown up, identifiable by the jetty and lighthouse at right.
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Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926), The Entrance to the Port of Le Havre (formerly The Entrance to the Port of Honfleur), 1867–1868, oil on canvas, Norton Simon Art Foundation
This image of a goddess belonging to the Hindu pantheon portrays her both as a fierce protector and a nurturing mother. She holds a sword in one hand and a child, who tugs at her pearl necklace, in the other.
This #MothersDay, we give thanks to all mothers and mother figures who protect and nurture 💓.
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India, Uttar Pradesh, Mother Goddess with Child, c. 600, sandstone, Norton Simon Art Foundation
Join us this Saturday for Second Saturday Sketching ✏️!
On the second Saturday of the month from 3:00–5:00 p.m., pick up drawing supplies and use guided prompts to explore themes, genres and styles within the art collections as you sketch your own creation. Afterward, head to Museum Café to share your sketches with fellow artists, enjoying happy hour treats for sale.
💭 Did you know that “The Thinker” is one of eight sculptures by Rodin on view at the Museum? In its new installation along the updated pedestrian path, this iconic artwork now greets visitors upon their arrival to the Museum.
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Auguste Rodin (French, 1840–1917), The Thinker, 1880, bronze, Edition of 12, Cast No. 11, Norton Simon Art Foundation
What are your favorite details from this still life by Isaak Soreau? 🍒
A specialist in tabletop still lifes that feature fruits and flowers, Soreau arranged this luscious display to full advantage by tilting the table forward so that it is seen slightly from above. Every element is crisply and artfully portrayed, from the veined leaves, grapes and woven basket to the tiny water drop, the fly between two plums and the dragonfly aloft on a grape stem.
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Isaak Soreau (German, 1604-after 1645), Still Life with Fruits and Flowers, c. 1638, oil on panel, Norton Simon Art Foundation
Join us for the discussion “Richard Neutra’s ‘Galka Scheyer House’: Past, Present and Future,” on Saturday, May 2 with Curator Gloria Williams Sander and architects Ravi GuneWardena and Frank Escher of Escher GuneWardena Architecture (@egarchla )—who are leading the restoration of this modernist masterpiece.
In 1934, art dealer and collector Galka Scheyer took up residence in a Hollywood Hills home designed by Richard Neutra. The living room served as a gallery where Scheyer hosted salons and offered panoramic views of the city and ocean below. This unique blend of art and architecture made the journey up Blue Heights Drive a transformative experience for visitors, distinguishing Scheyer from her peers.
📅 Saturday, May 2 at 5:00 p.m.
🎟️ Free with Museum admission.
🎨 Walkup tickets are available starting at 4:00 p.m.
🔗 Tap the link in bio for more information
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Galka Scheyer’s house on Blue Heights Drive, ENV Archives, College of Environmental Design, California State University, Pomona, Courtesy Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design
French painter Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot visited Italy three times over the course of his career. While there, he worked in the open air, painting oil sketches and making countless drawings. Here, we see an ideal Italian landscape painted from memory and his imagination after his return to Paris.
Looking at this painting, we can almost feel the warmth of the sun and hear the tranquil sounds of nature. Early morning light illuminates the edges of trees and transforms the green foliage to yellows, oranges and reds. A goatherd stands on the grassy banks of the still water and engages with a figure sitting at the base of a tree. A few goats frolic nearby.
🌎 Today on Earth Day, go outside and take a moment to connect with nature.
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Jean–Baptiste Camille Corot (French, 1796–1875), Site in Italy, 1839, oil on canvas, The Norton Simon Foundation, Gift of Donald Ellis Simon
"When the museum recently redesigned its campus — a project by Architectural Resources Group (@arg.create ) … and the landscape architects SWA Group (@swagroup ) — 'improving curb appeal while improving security on the site,' as [SVP of Operations and Strategy Leslie] Denk put it, became one of the central challenges."
Tap the link in bio to read how the Museum's recent exterior improvement project brought important upgrades to the campus while also increasing security measures in a special feature by the @nytimes .
Photos by Philip Cheung
!["When the museum recently redesigned its campus — a project by Architectural Resources Group (@arg.create) … and the landscape architects SWA Group (@swagroup) — 'improving curb appeal while improving security on the site,' as [SVP of Operations and Strategy Leslie] Denk put it, became one of the central challenges."Tap the link in bio to read how the Museum's recent exterior improvement project brought important upgrades to the campus while also increasing security measures in a special feature by the @nytimes.Photos by Philip Cheung](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6739395671345838305920_0_d81acb506367cb9601e8afc64e90731e.jpg?o=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&h=8d1f3dda6a8bee8bfeb1d0a6aed2b330)
