The Look of Love: Eye Miniatures from the Skier Collection

Organized by the Birmingham Museum of Art, this was the first major exhibition of lover’s eye jewelry. Exquisite in craftsmanship, unique in detail and few in number, lover’s eye miniatures are small-scale portraits of individual eyes set into various forms of jewelry from late-18th- and early-19th-century England. Part of a trend that began with Britain’s Prince of Wales (later George IV), clandestine lovers exchanged these customized tokens depicting one another’s eyes, as such a feature might only be recognized by persons of the most intimate familiarity. Thus, behind the skilled artistry with which each of these tiny portraits was painted lie the enchanting stories of secret romance and love lost. Accompanied by an iPad app created by the Birmingham Museum of Art, this exhibition presented an up-close experience with these delicate and exceedingly personal works of art.