A Golden Age: European Renaissance Jewellery and Accessories

Join us at V&A South Kensington for a study day in collaboration with the École Du Louvre as we explore miniature masterpieces and body ornaments, European Renaissance jewellery and related accessories. We will explore how they reflect the wealth, taste and customs of the Renaissance court elite. Drawing on the same decorative sources as painters and sculptors, goldsmiths created spectacular jewellery and accessories with mythological, historical or devotional themes, in increasingly complex forms and dazzling colours. Rare surviving pieces, but also portraits, drawings and prints allow us to trace a panorama of styles and customs, between national identities and the rapid spread of fashions across a hyperconnected Europe. Through these highly symbolic objects, we will also be able to explore a facet of the technical, political, economic and cultural history of the Renaissance.