The Jewel in Art, The Jewel as Art

Lecture Series

Patricia Anderson

23 April - 4 June 2009

Centenary Auditorium

Art Gallery of NSW

Throughout arts vast history, the priceless objects of legendary beauty and exquisite design have very rarely hung in galleries. This series of lectures traces jewellery from its beginnings in the very cradle of civilization amidst the Tigris and Euphrates to its Art Deco influences in the 20th century.

Patricia is an arts writer, literary critic and gemmologist whose books include Contemporary Jewellery in Australia, Elwyn Lynn's Art World and Robert Hughes: The Australian Years. She is also the new editor of Australian Art Review.

Thursday April 23: Animals, gods, guardians & gold.

Looks at the expression of fundamental beliefs in gold and gemstone jewellery in the Fertile Crescent (modern day Iraq) among the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians and around the Mediterranean.

Thursday April 30: The Old World meets the New World

Looks at the impact of Roman christianity on jewellery after the victory of Constantine in 312 and the flood of gold, silver and precious stones that washed over Europe following Christopher Columbus 1492 discovery of the New World. Plus the reemergence of classical motifs and mythology and a fascination with exotic animals.

Thursday May 14: Dynastic glories and revolutions

The role of increasingly elaborate jewellery in the establishment and maintenance of visions of power amongst the unstable hereditary monarchies of 17th century Europe.

Thursday May 28: All the colours of the rainbow

Examines the impact of the Industrial Revolution on fin de siecle fabrication techniques and traces the diamond on its way to centre stage.

Thursday June 4: The streamlined and the unexpected

The basic tenets of Art Deco changed hotels, automobiles, ocean liners and especially jewellery. The revolutionary 60's saw the traditional definition of jewellery, along with just about everything else, turned on its head.

Lectures run from 10:30 am - 11:30 am

Single Lectures $25 Members $35 Non-members

Full Series $110 Members $160 Non-members

For further information: www.artgallerysociety.org.au

or phone: (02) 9225 1878

Above: Bracelets of Nimlot, said to be from Sais, western Nile Delta, Egypt, 22nd Dynasty c.940BC © Trustees of the British Museum.