Esemplario di lavori, page 8 (recto) 1529

This is page eight from Nicolò Zoppino’s ‘Esemplario di lavori’, printed in Venice around 1529. The woodcut presents two variations on a repeating geometric pattern, typical of designs intended for embroidery or lace-making. These ‘esemplari’, or pattern books, played a vital role in shaping the visual culture of the Renaissance home. As printed books, they democratized access to design. They allowed for the circulation of intricate patterns beyond the confines of elite workshops. In a society still highly stratified by class and gender, pattern books offered women, in particular, a means of participating in the burgeoning culture of design. It also allowed them to generate income through skilled needlework. By studying these books, alongside inventories of household goods, we can begin to understand the complex interplay between art, commerce, and domestic life in 16th-century Venice. Art history helps us to understand the social and institutional contexts that shaped the production and consumption of images.