Brooch c. 1937

John H. Tercuzzi made this rendering of a brooch with pencil and watercolor, but we don't know exactly when. The way the gold is painted in soft washes, almost like a memory of gold, invites you to imagine the sensation of wearing it. See how Tercuzzi renders the details, the loops and whorls of gold filigree? It’s like drawing with light, a kind of luminous shorthand. The three views give you a sense of the object's weight, or how it might sit on fabric. The color is restrained, the ruby a pop of color, holding its own against the warm metal. I find myself wondering if Tercuzzi worked as a jeweler himself. The design has a touch of Art Nouveau about it, reminding me of jeweled dragonfly brooches by Lalique. But beyond style, it's the idea of ornamentation itself that holds my attention; the impulse to adorn, to make something beautiful, feels eternal.