Libbretto nouellamete composto per maestro Domenico da Sera...lauorare di ogni sorte di punti, page 12 (recto) 1532

Editor: So, this is a page from *Libbretto nouellamete composto per maestro Domenico da Sera...lauorare di ogni sorte di punti*, created by Domenico da Sera in 1532. It's a woodcut print, and I'm immediately struck by the dense, almost pixelated patterns. What can you tell me about this work? Curator: Well, let’s think about the context. This isn't high art meant for a gallery; it's a pattern book. Its materiality speaks to a practical function: to disseminate designs for needlework. The woodcut medium is key—it's relatively inexpensive and allows for mass production of these designs, making intricate patterns accessible to a wider range of artisans and craftspeople. Think about the labour involved, both in creating the original designs and then in their reproduction via woodcut, and then, of course, in the needlework itself. Editor: So it blurs the lines between art and craft then? Curator: Exactly. This challenges our traditional art historical hierarchy. Instead of focusing solely on the "genius" of the artist, we look at the entire production process, from Domenico da Sera's initial designs to the many hands that would translate them into textile works. We have to also consider how these pattern books democratized design, impacting the quality and availability of textiles in the marketplace. Where was this pattern reproduced? Who bought it? What materials would have been readily available? Editor: I never really considered how prints could affect the economics of textile production! So this one print really encapsulates labor, accessibility, and consumption? Curator: Precisely. It invites us to consider how printed images mediated not only the aesthetics but also the social and economic realities of Renaissance life. It reframes art history as a history of making, marketing, and materiality. Editor: I’ll definitely think differently about art production from now on. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure, thinking about all the labor definitely reshapes my impressions too.