Opera Nova Universali intitulata Corona di racammi, page 26 (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(52)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the Renaissance world of intricate design with *Opera Nova Universali intitolata Corona di racammi page 26 (verso)*, a woodcut print Venetian publisher and engraver Giovanni Andrea Vavass, created around 1530. This page hails from a pattern book—a "crown of embroideries"—offering versatile motifs for artisans across Europe. Measuring just 8 7/8 x 6 7/8 inches, its compact woodcut format made it ideal for widespread dissemination through printing presses, revolutionizing how decorative patterns were shared. The verso features fantastical griffins intertwined with lush plants and eleg...
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...