Opera Nova Universali intitulata Corona di racammi, page 13 (verso)
Medium
Woodcut
Dimensions
Overall: 8 7/8 x 6 7/8 in. (22.5 x 17.5 cm)
Classification
Books|Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1932
Accession Number
32.54.1(26)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the Renaissance world of Venetian craftsmanship with *Opera Nova Universali intitolata Corona di racammi page 13 (verso)*, a delicate woodcut by Giovanni Andrea Vavassore from around 1530. This page hails from an innovative pattern book—a "crown of embroideries"—designed to inspire artisans in creating intricate lace, needlework, and ornamental motifs. Vavass, a prolific printer in Venice's bustling publishing scene, captured elegant, scrolling designs that blend floral flourishes with geometric precision, perfect for textiles or architectural decoration. Woodcuts like this were rev...
About the Artist
Giovanni Andrea Vavassore · 1530–1573
**Giovanni Andrea Vavassore (c. 1490s–1572)** Giovanni Andrea Vavassore, also known as Zoan Andrea or Guadagnino, hailed from Telgate near Bergamo in the Venetian terraferma and established himself in Venice by the early 16th century as a skilled wood engraver. His early life remains sparsely documented, with no records of formal training or mentors, though his initial output as a xylographer rev...