Corona delle Nobili et Virtuose Donne: Libro I-IV, page 64 (recto) 1601

Editor: Here we have a page, number 64 to be exact, from Cesare Vecellio's "Corona delle Nobili et Virtuose Donne," dating back to 1601. It's an intaglio print, quite graphic with strong contrasts. It feels like an elaborate, somewhat chaotic frieze… What catches your eye when you look at it? Curator: Ah, chaos indeed, but organized! Isn’t it marvelous how Vecellio packs so much detail into such a small space? My eyes dance across the page trying to decipher the stories unfolding. I see archers and shield-bearers amongst intertwined foliage and curious triangular structures containing what appears to be ritualistic scenes. The imagery, while visually captivating, is incredibly complex; each geometric portion may indicate different characters and perhaps narrate different stories that are meant to exist together. Almost as though to demonstrate the complexities of the women it features! It also reminds me of the engravings in Renaissance books of hours. Does it resonate with you that way at all? Editor: Absolutely, there's definitely a decorative quality reminiscent of those illuminated manuscripts, although less colorful. What about the figures? They seem so…stiff. Curator: Stiff, perhaps, but intentionally so. I see in it, the almost primitive style lending them a timeless quality. Consider that these figures are meant to represent archetypes, ideals of noble and virtuous women. What would be the impact, though, if they had instead been done with soft brush strokes, with complex features instead of blocky figures? What stories would *they* tell, if so? Editor: I suppose then, the simple forms are meant to be universally recognizable. Curator: Precisely. The piece almost feels like a pattern or blueprint; a symbolic construction that represents more than it literally depicts. Food for thought! Editor: Absolutely! This close look makes me consider Renaissance art in a different way - as being decorative as it is informative.