Trionfo Di Virtu. Libro Novo..., page 15 (verso) 1563

This is page 15 from Matteo Pagano’s "Trionfo Di Virtu. Libro Novo...", made around the mid-16th century. The overall composition strikes you with its linear and ordered arrangement, which feels both decorative and systematic. The page is filled with horizontal bands, each showcasing a different ornamental design. These bands consist of geometric patterns, stylized figures, and plant motifs. The high contrast between the black ink and the off-white paper gives each design a crisp, graphic quality. The artist uses the repetition of forms and motifs to create a rhythmic visual structure, but the variations in each band interrupt any sense of monotony. These ornamental designs tap into the period’s broader fascination with pattern and order, also reflecting an emerging Renaissance aesthetic. The book becomes a catalogue of possibilities, inviting a dialogue between form and function. It suggests that even the most practical object can be a site of artistic expression.