Essempio di recammi, page 3 (recto) 1530

This is a page from "Essempio di recammi," a book of embroidery patterns made in Venice by Giovanni Antonio Tagliente. Published in the early 16th century, this book reflects the growing commercialization of art and the increasing importance of printed media. The patterns, a mix of geometric shapes, knots, and stylized flowers, show both the period's aesthetic preferences and the practical skills expected of women in the domestic sphere. Venice, as a major center of trade and culture, would have been a natural place for this kind of publication. The book provided designs for a rising merchant class eager to display its wealth through elaborate textiles and clothing. To truly understand this work, scholars consult not only art historical sources but also conduct research into the social history of embroidery, the economics of printmaking, and the structures of gender in Renaissance Italy. The meaning of art resides in these complex and overlapping contexts.