Corona delle Nobili et Virtuose Donne: Libro I-IV
1601
Medium
Woodcut
Dimensions
Overall: 5 1/2 x 7 11/16 in. (14 x 19.5 cm)
Classification
Books|Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1918
Accession Number
18.67.2(1-118)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Cesare Vecellio's *Corona delle Nobili et Virtuose: Libro I-IV* (Crown of Noble and Virtuous: Books I-IV), in 1601, is a captivating Renaissance publication from Venice, where Vecellio, a renowned engraver and costume chronicler, documented the fashions and adornments of elite women. This four-volume work celebrates the grace and virtue of noblewomen through intricate illustrations, blending human figures with decorative motifs like birds, evoking the era's fascination with symbolism—birds often representing freedom, beauty, or divine favor. Printed as woodcuts on a compact scale (5½ × 7⅝ inc...
About the Artist
Cesare Vecellio · 1521–1601
Cesare was a distant cousin of the famous Titian, and studied in his shop. He was a member of the branch of Vecellio descended from Giovanni Antonio. He is best known for his prints; he published illustrated books on costume, embroidery and lacemaking, and other subjects. Francesco, Cesare, Orazio and Marco were the only family members allowed to use the appellation "di Tiziano." Comment on works:...