La Pratique de l'Aiguille, page 20 (recto) 1605

"La Pratique de l'Aiguille," a 1605 print by Matthias Mignerak, is a detailed design for needlepoint. The design features Venus, the Roman goddess of love, and Cupid, her son. The image is framed by a grid, which is meant to guide the needlepoint artist in creating the design. The piece, currently located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, demonstrates the popular 17th-century practice of needlepoint, which allowed women to create elaborate tapestries and other decorative objects.