Dertien ontwerpen voor juwelen 1695

Joseph Friedrich Leopold made this print of thirteen jewelry designs with etching. The image presents a range of ornamental concepts, reflecting the baroque style that dominated European art during Leopold’s lifetime. These elaborate, swirling patterns speak to the fashion for opulence and display within courtly society of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The designs suggest a world obsessed with status and visual spectacle. The intended wearers of such jewelry belonged to a social elite, for whom the adornment of the body was an important means of communication. To understand Leopold's work more fully, we might consult the fashion plates and portraiture from this era. These provide a context for the consumption and circulation of jewelry in baroque society. We might also explore archival records of the goldsmiths' guilds, which governed the production and distribution of such luxury items.