Essempio di recammi, page 21 (verso)

Art Historical Context

Step into the intricate world of Renaissance pattern books with *Essempio di recammi, page 21 (verso)*, a delicate woodcut print from 1530. Created by printers Giovanni Antonio di Nicolini da Sabio his brothers, in collaboration with author Giovanni Antonio Tagliente this page hails from a manual offering "examples of embroidery" designs. Measuring just 7 13/16 x 6 3/16 inches, captures blooming floral motifs—perfect for inspiring lace-makers, embroiderers, and textile artists of the era. Woodcuts like this were revolutionary in 16th-century Venice, a hub of printing innovation. Carved into wooden blocks and inked for mass production, they made sophisticated ornamental patterns accessible beyond elite workshops. Tagliente's book, part of a wave of *libri di modelli* (model books), standardized motifs like these flowers, blending naturalism with stylized elegance influenced by the High Renaissance's love for nature and symmetry. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1935), this verso page exemplifies how prints bridged art and craft, shaping decorative arts across Europe. Imagine Venetian needlewomen copying these blooms onto fine linens— a testament to printing's role in democratizing beauty.

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