Life Imitates Art: 8 Striking Examples

Left: For Cartier’s mesmerizing limited-edition Les Galaxies de Cartier necklace, a constellation of luminous diamonds, fire opals, and yellow and blue sapphires orbits a 18K-gold pendant inspired by the starry skies above. Right: In his penultimate canvas, Broadway Boogie Woogie (1942–43), Dutch painter Piet Mondrian captures the kinetic energy of American jazz, channeling a dynamic rhythm of his signature red, blue, and yellow into a vibrant grid, which also personifies the lights of his adopted city, New York. Photo: Courtesy of Cartier; Opposite: © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by Scala/Art Resource, NY

Left: The Campana Brothers have made a name for themselves fusing functional home accents with fantastical design. Their latest feat, the Bulbo chair, is no exception, enveloping guests within layers of petals covered in plush fabric and backed with Louis Vuitton leather. Right: Celebrated for her iconic sensuous floral paintings, Georgia O’Keeffe transformed curvaceous blossoms into beguiling abstracts such as Yellow Sweet Peas, which faithfully represents the organic folds and complexities of Lathyrus blooms. Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton; Right: Courtesy of Sotheby's

Left: For Gucci’s fall/winter 2019 collection, creative director Alessandro Michele walked the line between prim and punk, enlivening the brand’s classic sweaters, coats, and pleated skirts with riotous patterns, then layering on hard-edged accents such as leather masks and silver spikes. Right: A forest of metallic lawn ornaments and luminescent staircases, Until gives viewers the chance to physically explore the mystical realm of contemporary artist Nick Cave’s signature “Soundsuits.” Originally staged at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, in 2016, the work, Cave’s largest installation to date, travels to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in 2020. Photo: Courtesy of Gucci; Right: James Prinz

Left: Recognized for pushing the boundaries of watchmaking, Richard Mille exhibits the brand’s masterful technique with this RM 07-02 Green Lady Sapphire timepiece, which is bejeweled with a radiant green sapphire carved from a single block. Right: Electrifying the gallery walls of the Whitney Museum of American Art, this text-based sculpture, Five Words in Green Neon (1965), showcases how the pioneering conceptual talent Joseph Kosuth used just a few words to make a statement. Photo: Courtesy of Richard Mille; Opposite: © Whitney Museum of American Art/Licensed by Scala/Art Resource, NY

Left: Designed for sunny skies, the mirrored dark-violet, periwinkle, and raspberry lenses of Miu Miu’s Cloud Frames cast playful yet stylish shade. Right: Pop culture references and surreal moments abound in the work of Swiss artist Olaf Breuning. His zippy-blue aluminum Clouds, originally commissioned by the Public Art Fund for New York’s Central Park and now installed at the Cass Sculpture Foundation in West Sussex, England, conjures enough ebullience to brighten even the grayest day. Photo: Courtesy of Metro Pictures, New York; Opposite: Courtesy of Saks Fifth Avenue

Left: Fluorescent prints and flirty fringe electrify this joyously patterned Michael Kors runway look, inspired by the designer’s far-flung beach escapes to Bora-Bora and Tetiaroa in French Polynesia. Right: With her thick coats of oil paint and psychedelic palette, Caroline Larsen subverts the exquisite floral bouquets of the Dutch Golden Age. To create the rich, dimensional texture of Still Life with Toucan Vase Emaux de Longwy Limited Edition (2019), the Canadian artist trades in her paintbrushes for piping bags, which she uses to masterfully weave ribbons of paint. Photo: Courtesy of The Hole, New York; Opposite: Courtesy of Michael Kors (MODEL); INDIGITAL.TV/MARCUS TONDO (BACKGROUND)

Left: Space, light, and color engage in a mesmerizing dance in German Expressionist Lyonel Feininger’s oil painting Stiller am Meer III (Calm at Sea III) (1929). At first appearing to be a beautiful vignette of gliding sailboats, this masterful work captures childhood memories of vacationing on the Baltic Sea and imposes order and geometry upon the nostalgic subject. Right: For Coomi’s 20K Sunset statement earrings, a serene sunset vignette, comprising an inlay of opal, malachite, lapis, and onyx, is anchored by 4.13 carats of aquamarines and a smattering of diamonds. Photo: Courtesy of Coomi, Opposite: Courtesy of Moeller Fine Art

Left: A mix of marbles comes together to form a strikingly graphic pattern in Euclid, Alison Rose’s new line for Artistic Tile. Completely customizable, the mosaic can be reassembled in myriad ways with a variety of curved and striped tiles. Right: In the bold wall relief No Title (Polychrome Shoulder) (2017), Ruby Sky Stiler reimagines classical antiquities and Cubist works by using everyday objects—often materials like foam core, plaster, and recycled scraps—to question authenticity and value. Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, New York; Opposite: Courtesy of Artistic Tile