Le Pompe: Opera Nova, page 12 (recto)
Medium
Woodcut
Dimensions
Overall: 8 1/16 x 5 7/8 in. (20.5 x 15 cm)
Classification
Books|Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1937
Accession Number
37.74(23)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the ornate world of Renaissance Venice with *Le Pompe: Opera Nova*, page 12 (recto), a exquisite woodcut illustration from 1557 crafted by the prolific Venetian printers Giovanni Battista and Marchio Sessa. This compact page, measuring just 8 1/16 x 5 7/8 inches, is part of a celebrated "new work" showcasing elaborate ornamental designs—think intricate motifs of grotesques, scrolls, and architectural fantasies that defined the era's decorative arts. Woodcuts like this were revolutionary for their time, allowing detailed black-line illustrations to be printed directly from carved woo...
About the Artist
Giovanni Battista & Marchio Sessa
Giovanni Battista and Marchio Sessa were prominent Venetian printers, publishers, and booksellers active in the vibrant printing hub of Renaissance Venice from the mid-16th century through 1602. Operating as a family partnership—likely brothers or close kin—they contributed significantly to the dissemination of ornamental designs during a period when Venice dominated Europe's graphic arts scene. T...