The Reeling of Silk, Plate 6 from "The Introduction of the Silkworm" [Vermis Sericus]
![The Reeling of Silk, Plate 6 from "The Introduction of the Silkworm" [Vermis Sericus] by Philips Galle|Jan van der Straet, called Stradanus|Karel van Mallery](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/met/dp/thumb/the-reeling-of-silk-plate-6-from-the-introduction-659745.webp)
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 7 3/16 × 10 9/16 in. (18.3 × 26.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Georgiana W. Sargent, in memory of John Osborne Sargent, 1924
Accession Number
24.63.492
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the bustling world of Renaissance industry with *The Reeling of Silk Plate 6 from the *The Introduction of the Silkworm*Vermis Sericus*), around 1595. Designed by Jan van der Stra, known as Stradanus—a artist who worked for the Medici family in Florence—and masterfully engraved by Philips Galle with Karel van Mallery's collaboration, this print captures a pivotal stage in silk production. Women are depicted deftly unwinding silk filaments from cocoons, a labor-intensive process central to the luxurious textile trade that Europe was eagerly adopting from Asia. This engraving highligh...
About the Artist
Philips Galle|Jan van der Straet, called Stradanus|Karel van Mallery · 1537–1612
Philips Galle (1537–1612) was a leading Netherlandish engraver, designer, and print publisher whose career bridged the vibrant artistic scenes of Haarlem and Antwerp. Born in Haarlem, he studied under the humanist engraver Dirck Volkertsz. Coornhert, honing his skills in reproductive printmaking. Early on, Galle produced engravings after the Haarlem master Maarten van Heemskerck, capturing the Man...