Essempio di recammi, page 20 (verso)

Art Historical Context

This woodcut comes from *Essempio di recammi*, a 1530 pattern book printed in Venice by Giovanni Antonio Tagliente and his brothers. Such manuals were among the earliest printed resources to circulate embroidery designs across Europe, allowing tailors, noblewomen, and professional embroiderers to copy fashionable motifs without relying solely on costly hand-drawn models. Page 20 verso presents a lively arrangement of fruits, flowers, and acorns—motifs prized in Renaissance ornament for their associations with abundance and the natural world. Executed in woodcut, the page demonstrates the technique’s crisp outlines and repeatable patterns, ideal for translating designs onto fabric. The medium’s affordability helped democratize decorative knowledge during the early sixteenth century, when printed books were transforming craft traditions. Visitors can imagine how these printed examples once guided stitches in silk and gold thread on garments, linens, and furnishings. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, the sheet offers a rare glimpse into the intersection of printmaking and the decorative arts, illustrating how Renaissance pattern books bridged fine art and everyday craftsmanship.

About the Artist

Giovanni Antonio di Nicolini da Sabio e i fratelli|Giovanni Antonio Tagliente (Italian|Italian) · 1522 |1465 –1545 |1528

Italian, active Venice, ca. 1522–1545|Italian, Venice ca. 1465–1528 Venice