Libro quarto. De rechami per elquale se impara in diuersi modi lordine e il modo de recamare...Opera noua, page 9 (recto) 1532

This is page 9 from "Libro quarto. De rechami per elquale se impara in diuersi modi lordine e il modo de recamare…Opera noua," made by Alessandro Paganino around the early 16th century. The bold black ink against the stark white paper immediately draws the eye to the intricate, linear designs. We see two vertical bands of patterns, each distinct in form and composition. The left features a continuous, symmetrical vine with stylized floral and foliate elements, contained within the clean-cut lines of a rectangular frame. The structure feels rigid and controlled. In contrast, the band on the right is more fluid, enclosed by a teardrop shape that tapers to a point at the bottom. Notice the playful addition of cherubic figures entwined within the vines. Here Paganino creates a visual language that mixes the natural and the human. Both patterns serve as templates for embroidery, but the choice of form—the solid rectangular structure versus the dynamic, organic curves—hints at different philosophies of design and the interplay between order and spontaneity. It leaves us to consider how these patterns might challenge the static nature of printed images through the variability of stitched interpretations.