Teatro delle Nobili et Virtuose Donne..., page 24 (recto)

Art Historical Context

**Teatro delle Nobili et Virtuose Donne..., page 24 (recto)** *Isabella Catanea Parasole and Mauritio Bona, 1616* Woodcut and engraving, 7 1/2 x 10 7/16 in. (19 x 26.5 cm) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1919 Step into the elegant world of early 17th-century Italy with this captivating page from Isabella Catanea Parasole's *Teatro delle Nobili et Virtuose Donne* ("Theater of Noble and Virtuous Women"). Created around 1616, this woodcut and engraving exemplifies the ornamental printmaking tradition, blending intricate designs with themes celebrating feminine virtue and nobility. Parasole, a pioneering female engraver and publisher in Renaissance Rome, collaborated with Mauritio Bona to produce pattern books like this one, which served as invaluable resources for artisans crafting lace, embroidery, and decorative architecture. The page's classification as ornament and architecture highlights its practical yet artistic purpose: bold woodcut lines paired with the fine precision of engraving allowed for reproducible motifs that could inspire sumptuous textiles and interiors. At a modest size, it reflects the portability of such books, making high-style patterns accessible to skilled women across Europe during the Baroque era's rise. This work underscores women's roles in the decorative arts, bridging fine art and craft in a time when few female artists gained recognition. Today, housed in The Met's Drawings and Prints department, it invites us to appreciate how these prints fueled cultural splendor, turning everyday creativity into timeless elegance.

About the Artist

Isabella Catanea Parasole|Mauritio Bona (Italian|Italian) · 1565 | –1625 |

Italian, ca. 1565/70–ca. 1625|