What kind of things do you like to collect? Postcards? Action figures? Decorative mugs? How about 2,000-year-old carved gemstones? Peter Paul Rubens wasn't just a renowned artist in his own day, he was also an avid art collector. He particularly admired ancient carved gemstones, such as this tiny but vibrant amethyst in the Getty Villa's collection. This Roman intaglio has been carved in counter-relief (cut into the flat stone surface) with the bust of Demosthenes, a famous Athenian orator. Swipe left to compare it with a Roman sardonyx cameo that depicts the marriage of Cupid and Psyche. This gemstone has been carefully carved in raised relief, so that the darkest layer of stone serves as a backdrop for the cream-colored figures. Carved gemstones such as these were high-status objects that signified their owner's wealth and prestige. Roman emperors would commission massive cameos to flaunt their imperial power. Swipe to see Rubens's oil painting of the Gemma Tiberiana, the large...