Beyond Adornment: Jewelry and Identity in Art focuses on jewelry’s multifaceted functions, such as its ability to convey the wealth, power, and influence of the wearer, while also examining jewelry’s role as a cultural messenger. Bringing together spectacular and significant art objects depicting figures wearing sumptuous personal adornments that define who they are within the specific milieus in which they lived, this richly illustrated and accessible volume represents a novel, interdisciplinary approach to the ways in which jewelry can be studied and understood.
Courtesy Getty Publications
Unknown English artist, Armada Portrait, 1588. Oil on oak panel, 52.3 x 105cm (205/8 x 413/8in). Woburn, Bedfordshire, England, Woburn, Abbey
This richly illustrated book provides an interdisciplinary understanding of jewelry and art
LOS ANGELES, CA–Jewelry is the oldest of the decorative arts, and much can be gained from the study of its relationship with humans. It is a fascinating and sometimes glamorous subject, and much has been written on its creation, artistry, and historical significance. In addition to its longevity in the story of human history, it is also fairly ubiquitous. Artistic renderings of the human figure—in portraiture, sculpture, and other media—in a range of allegorical, historical, and religious images often showcase jewelry. The ornaments depicted in such designs offer an abundance of information that not only heightens our understanding of the subject but also provides insights into the imagination of the artist. Jewelry enhances our enjoyment of works of art because it is visually compelling, sensuous, and laden with an array of associations and symbolic meanings.
Courtesy Getty Publications
Beyond Adornment: Jewelry and Identity in Art cover image
Publication Information:
Beyond Adornment: Jewelry and Identity in Art
Yvonne J. Markowitz and Susanne Gänsicke
J. Paul Getty Museum
184 pages, 8½ x 9½ inches
133 color and 20 b/w illustrations
Hardcover
ISBN 978-1-60606-962-2
US $40 / UK £35
Publication Date: May 6, 2025
Media Contact:
Sydney Almaraz-Neal, Getty Publications
(310) 440-6536
salmarazneal@getty.edu
Photo Credit: © RMN-Grand Palais / Art: Resource, NY. Photo: Franck Raux
Artist: Lefevre, Robert (1755-1830). Description: Portrait of Pauline, Princess Borghese, 1809. Oil on canvas. 65 x 54.5 cm. M.M.74.6.1.
ƽ̨app Getty Publications:
Getty Publications produces award-winning titles that result from or complement the work of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Getty Conservation Institute, and Getty Research Institute. This wide variety of books covers the fields of art, photography, archaeology, architecture, conservation, and the humanities for both the general public and specialists. Publications include illustrated works on artists and art history, exhibition catalogues, works on cultural history, research on the conservation of materials and archaeological sites, scholarly monographs, critical editions of translated works, comprehensive studies of Getty's collections, and educational books on art to interest children of all ages.
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