Meanwhile, the curved ceiling of the main house captures the interplay of light refracted from the L-shaped pool, and the roof's louvered panels float above a wall of windows, perching on delicate wood columns as they shelter an outdoor patio.

WSJ: The House That Gucci Built

To prepare for the show, exhibit curator Paul Martineau spent several months plowing through 1, 200 boxes of prints in a cold cinder-block room at the Herb Ritts Foundation in Hollywood, looking for shots with the L.A.-bred photographer's signature style: glowing California light, bold shadows, bare skin and film-noir settings.

WSJ: Herb Ritts at the Getty: Capturing the Soul of Fashion

The Lakers light their court in the same fashion, but they're the Lakers, in showbiz L.A. (For what it's worth: Barclays is much lower-lit than Madison Square Garden.) The Nets don't have to try so hard to be cool.

WSJ: Brooklyn Nets: Come On, Brooklyn: Turn On the Lights