Join art historian, internationally renowned lecturer and Penarth resident, Stella Grace Lyons for the launch of her debut non-fiction title, The Secret Language of Jewellery in Art. Stella is well known in Penarth for her engaging art history talks and we’re delighted to be hosting her book launch in the shop.

The Secret Language of Jewellery in Art is the first art history book to explore the symbolism of jewellery in Western art in an accessible way, decoding its secrets across works from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries. It reveals the stories hidden within familiar masterpieces while introducing overlooked artists and hidden gems.

The Secret Language of Jewellery in Art:
What secrets lie behind a dead weasel with a jewel encrusted mask? Why do diamonds dominate Medici paintings? Why would an accountant be painted wearing an eight-minute hourglass? Jewellery in art is often overlooked – dismissed as decorative or incidental. Yet it shaped how people were seen and judged: proclaiming power and lineage, advertising fertility, signalling desire, enforcing virtue
and betraying private anxieties.

In The Secret Language of Jewellery in Art, Stella Grace Lyons exposes a forgotten visual language hidden within early modern painting. From queens and courtesans to merchants, lovers and enslaved children, this book reveals how the full gamut of human desires, aspirations and fears glittered in the smallest of details. Lavishly illustrated and engagingly written, this beautifully produced book will appeal to art lovers, museum-goers and jewellery enthusiasts alike.

Stella Grace Lyons is an art historian, writer and Arts Society accredited lecturer, known for bringing works of art vividly to life through storytelling. She is the founder of Stella Talks, her online lecture platform, which attracts a following across five continents. She lectures throughout the UK and internationally, in Europe and Asia.

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Wednesday 30 September | 7.30 pm
Griffin Books, 9A Windsor Road, Penarth, CF64 1JB*
Tickets: £25.00 including a SIGNED copy of The Secret Language of Jewellery in Art (RRP: £20)** / £8.00 Event Only*** / £5.00 Student Ticket / £5.00 Inclusive Ticket

*IMPORTANT: Please be aware that the toilet at Griffin Books can only be accessed via three steps and so is not accessible for wheelchair users or people with mobility issues. Please contact us on info@griffinbooks.co.uk if this would prohibit you from attending.