Fine jewelry is considered by many who love and collect it to be a fine art—akin to sculpture, only wearable. For legendary late jewelry designer David Webb, jewelry and art functioned in symbiosis in his work; the designer said as much in a 1963 article in the now-defunct New York Herald-Tribune newspaper.
Webb’s artistic inspirations is the topic of a new book, The Art of David Webb, by author and David Webb expert Ruth Peltason, who ably chronicles the synergy between Webb’s highly ornamental jewelry pieces and select works of art. We spoke to Peltason, who’s now written two books for the iconic New York City jewelry house (read a quick history of David Webb, one of America’s greatest jewelers).
“The Art of David Webb is about creating a dialogue between fine jewelry and the broader world of art,” Peltason said. In researching the book, she dove into archived articles to search for references the jeweler made to various artworks as well as what he experienced out in the world. “I was looking for connections with, say, an Achaemenid sculpture or Hokusai print. That broader lens made it enormously fun.”
The idea of jewelry as art isn’t unique to David Webb, the author conceded. Pieces from Cartier and Tiffany & Co., among other houses, have certainly borrowed inspiration from artworks over the years. But Webb’s lens was unique, “given how much David Webb really studied ancient works, developed his gold to match that of early Greek and Roman jewelry, and pursued styles and motifs from all over,” Peltason said.
Art-jewelry pairings in the coffee table book—which would make an opulent holiday present for a jewelry lover—include an iconic carved coral Chrysanthemum brooch alongside a 19th century Hokusai print of chrysanthemum; a dragon brooch inspired by a Scythian gold animal pommel from the 6th century B.C.E.; a hammered gold and gemstone Tree of Life necklace evoking Gustav Klimt’s 1909 masterpiece of the same name; a gold cuff echoing Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum; and a graphic enameled and diamond Mondrian Bracelet, an homage to both the artist and Yves Saint Laurent. “This was also an opportunity to draw on my interests across the arts spectrum—painting, sculpture, architecture, and fashion,” she added.
There is a parallel between Peltason’s interests and those of Webb’s. The jeweler was a self-styled Renaissance Man whose entry into the world of jewelry came through working at his uncle’s jewelry shop when he was only 14 years old, in Asheville, N.C. At 17, he arrived in New York, educating himself by crawling museums, galleries, and old bookstores, where he picked up jewelry books showcasing adornment in various cultures.
“New York was both [his] muse and mecca,” Peltason said. “Look at some of his jewelry, especially his rings and certain pendants, that show his regard for the city’s architecture. He was a darling of the fashion press and attended dinners at the homes of his well-heeled clients, thus well-versed in couture. All these factors influenced the exceptional jewelry he designed.”
Top photos, from left: Paul Himmel (1914-2009). Dancers from the New York City Ballet performing Serenade, c. 1952. Gelatin silver print. Credit: © Estate of Paul Himmel; David Webb. Diamond Lariat Necklace. Diamonds, platinum, and gold Credit: © Ilan Rubin
