The Look of Love currently at the Birmingham Museum of Art is an utterly charming exhibition of exquisite and daintily hand-painted “lovers’ eyes,” miniatures of human eyes set in jewelry and given as tokens of affection or remembrance. The tradition dates back to the end of the 18th century, when the Prince of Wales sent his reluctant lover a miniature portrait of his eye, along with a proposal of marriage. His act inspired other aristocratic types to exchange their own eye portraits.
One piece has an inscription on it, il ne voit et ne verra que toi: it (my eye) sees and will see only you.
Only about 1,000 of these portraits are know to exist. This collection of some 100 objects was pieced together by Dr. and Mrs. David A. Skier of Birmingham, and is the largest collection of its type in the world. If you need only one excuse to visit the Magic City this spring, this is it.