Artists’ Jewelry: From Cubism to Pop, the Diane Venet Collection

Exploring the dynamic realm of artists’ jewelry reveals novel perspectives into the diverse methods artists manifest their creative expression. Navigating the challenges of mastering a new medium or scaling down to adorn the body is met with witnessing the joy of creating intensely personal objects, often destined for cherished people within the artist’s inner circle. Gathered from the collection of Diane Venet, Artists’ Jewelry will feature more than 150 pieces of jewelry designed by some 140 of the most significant artists from the 20th and 21st centuries.

Deepening our understanding of the creative process, these pieces will be showcased alongside paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and photographs from the Norton’s Collection, offering intriguing parallels between the artists’ signature mediums and their forays in jewelry. Additionally, a unique sound-based artwork created and produced by exhibiting artist Sheila Concari will accompany the Norton’s exhibition and includes excerpts of Diane Venet’s reflections on her collection and artist jewelry. Emblematic charms by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, striking headpieces by Man Ray and Hiroshi Sugimoto, surreal accessories by Dorothea Tanning and Salvador Dalí, and abstracted pieces by Louise Nevelson and Arnaldo Pomodoro, all coalesce into a dazzling presentation of Diane Venet’s decades-long pursuit of art in miniature.