Libro quarto. De rechami per elquale se impara in diuersi modi lordine e il modo de recamare...Opera noua, page 3 (recto) 1532

This is a woodcut on paper, made by Alessandro Paganino in Italy in the first half of the 16th century. It's a page from a book of embroidery patterns. But it's more than just a collection of designs. It's a window into the domestic lives of Renaissance women and the social expectations placed upon them. Embroidery was a highly valued skill, a mark of refinement and status. The designs themselves, with their stylized birds and symmetrical arrangements, reflect the period's interest in classical forms and natural motifs. Printed pattern books like this one democratized access to these designs, allowing a wider range of women to participate in this art form. Yet, access to these books would still have been limited to the upper classes. To fully understand its significance, we might turn to historical documents, costume collections, and literary sources. This allows us to understand the complex interplay between art, gender, and social class in Renaissance Italy.