Convivio delle Belle Donne, page 21 (recto) 1532

Editor: We’re looking at a page from “Convivio delle Belle Donne,” dated 1532, by Nicolò Zoppino, at the Met. It's a delicate woodcut print of ornamental designs. I'm immediately struck by the incredible detail and how meticulously the design is mirrored. It feels very precise, almost mathematical. What catches your eye about it? Curator: Mathematical, yes, but with a kind of delicious abandon! Look at how those vegetal forms twist and curl – they're both contained and wildly expressive. I imagine Zoppino, in his little workshop in Venice, thinking not just of the beauty, but about the printing process, the inking, the pressure… almost caressing the block with his tools. Don’t you think the book itself, in its time, felt less like a book and more like a jeweled object? Did it maybe act like a mirror reflecting a society obsessed with decorum and ornamentation, as if everything—even the most seemingly natural form—must be reshaped and perfected? Editor: That’s a fascinating point! I was so focused on the rigid symmetry, I hadn’t considered the expressive aspect of the swirls and curls. And a jeweled object… yes! It adds a completely new layer to how I understand it. I also wonder about the title in the context of this rigid design - what relationship, if any, is being implied? Curator: Good question. Maybe the “belle donne” found freedom in such intricate patterns, or, perhaps, felt trapped by their demands! It is up to the viewer to imagine and ask. To find within it, an echo of the complex dance between freedom and constraint, a paradox alive in any artwork. And, hopefully, to be able to connect those historical, decorative shapes to their present existence as viewers. Editor: Well, this has certainly given me a fresh pair of eyes to look through. Thanks for helping me to notice it! Curator: The pleasure was entirely mine.