La Pratique de l'Aiguille, page 69 (recto)

Art Historical Context

This woodcut comes from *La Pratique de l’Aiguille*, a 1605 pattern book dedicated to Marie de Medici, then Queen of France. Created by Matthias Mignerak with contributions from engravers Pierre Firens and Jean Le Clerc, the volume offered practical designs for embroidery and needlework. As a page from the recto of folio 69, it belongs to the Metropolitan Museum’s holdings of books, prints, and ornamental works, illustrating how printed images circulated decorative ideas across early-seventeenth-century Europe. Measuring roughly 9¼ by 7 inches, the woodcut employs the bold, clear lines typical of the medium to render birds, fruit, and flowers—motifs prized in aristocratic embroidery. Such pattern books helped standardize ornamental vocabulary, allowing needleworkers to translate printed models into luxurious textiles for clothing, furnishings, and courtly gifts. The inclusion of natural elements reflects the period’s fascination with abundance and the garden as symbols of prosperity under royal patronage. Today the sheet offers a glimpse into the collaborative world of author, printer, and patron that shaped everyday artistic practice. Its presence in the Met’s collection underscores the enduring appeal of these portable designs, which bridged the gap between printed ornament and the tactile art of the needle.

About the Artist

Matthias Mignerak|Pierre Firens|Marie de Medici|Jean Le Clerc (Italian| | |French) · 1575 | | |1641 –1642 | | |1641

Florence 1575–1642 Colgne| | |French, born Paris 1641