Essempio di recammi, page 8 (verso) 1530

This is the page eight of 'Essempio di recammi' by Giovanni Antonio Tagliente, created in the 16th century. It’s a woodcut print, demonstrating patterns for embroidery. The page is dominated by a dense, geometric design, divided horizontally into two distinct fields. Each field presents a variation on a grid of diamonds. The upper section features diamonds bisected by linear crosses, lending a sense of complex intersection, while the lower showcases a more open latticework. Tiny dots fill the composition. The stark contrast between black and white creates a visual tension. This play of positive and negative space invites us to consider the semiotic relationship between the figure and the ground, the seen and the unseen. Tagliente presents us with not just patterns, but a systematic exploration of visual language. Each element—the line, the dot, the grid—functions as a sign within a larger cultural code of ornament. The rigid structure offers a template and a point of departure for the embroiderer's own creativity.