Convivio delle Belle Donne, page 21 (verso)

Art Historical Context

Step into the lively world of Renaissance Venice with *Convivio delle Belle Donne, page (verso)*, a woodcut print in August 1532 by the talents of publisher Nicolò Zoppino and designer Matteo da Treviso. just 7 7/8 x 5 1/2 inches, this intimate hails from an illustrated book that captures the era's fascination with beauty, festivity, and ornate design. Zoppino, a prolific Venetian printer known for his bold illustrated works, paired with Matteo daviso's illustrative flair to produce this piece, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department. Woodcuts like this one were a hallmark of 16th-century printing, carved in relief on wooden blocks and inked for mass production, making elaborate imagery accessible in books. Classified under Ornament & Architecture, page 21 verso likely features decorative motifs intertwined with the "banquet of beautiful women"—evoking classical gatherings of elegant figures in architectural settings. This reflects Venice's thriving print culture, where such books served as pattern sources for artists, craftsmen, and the cultured elite, blending erotic allure with refined ornamentation. Its cultural significance lies in bridging art and everyday luxury during the High Renaissance, when Venice led Europe in innovative publishing. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1922, this print offers a window into how beauty was celebrated and commodified, inviting us to ponder the social graces of 1530s Italy.

About the Artist

Nicolò Zoppino|Matteo da Treviso · 1478–1544

Nicolò Zoppino was an Italian printer and publisher active in Venice and other Italian cities during the first half of the sixteenth century, occupying an important place in the history of early printing and book illustration. Born around 1478, he worked during the golden age of Venetian printing, a period when the city was the dominant center of book production in Europe and publishers competed t...