Opera Nova Universali intitulata Corona di racammi, page 36 (recto)
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(71)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the Renaissance world of Venetian craftsmanship with this woodcut from Giovanni Andrea Vavass's *Opera Nova Universali intitolata Corona di racammi (New Universal Work Ent Crown of Embroideries), page 36 (recto), printed around 1530. Vavassore, a prolific publisher and engraver, created this pattern book to inspire artisans across Europe, offering intricate designs for embroidery, lace, and decorative textiles. At just 8 7/8 x 6 7/8 inches, this compact page exemplifies the portability of such manuals, making high-fashion motifs accessible to needleworkers from noble courts to humble...
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...