Les Singuliers et Nouveaux Portraicts... page 54 (verso) 1588

Editor: Here we have a page from "Les Singuliers et Nouveaux Portraicts...", dated 1588 by Federico de Vinciolo, a drawing or print within a book. I find the stark geometry and repetition quite captivating. What strikes you most about this work? Curator: What's most compelling to me is how this seemingly simple geometric pattern speaks volumes about the lives of women in the Renaissance. It's easy to dismiss this as a mere craft design, but these pattern books were crucial tools. Can you imagine how knowledge was disseminated back then? Editor: Not easily, I suppose books were the internet of the time. Curator: Exactly! Vinciolo's book, among others, enabled women to engage in textile production, a significant source of income and status. These designs weren't just decorative; they were empowering technologies, fostering agency within a patriarchal society. Editor: I hadn't considered that at all! So the geometry isn't just aesthetic; it’s tied to female labor and economic independence? Curator: Precisely. Think about the painstaking labor involved. Each stitch, each perfectly formed diamond, represents a challenge to the restricted roles often imposed on women. Moreover, geometric patterns allowed for individual interpretation, creative problem solving. Editor: I guess I always thought of art in the Renaissance as painting and sculpture. It's interesting to think of it as broader than that. Curator: It challenges the traditionally masculine narrative of Renaissance art history. How do we re-evaluate who were the creators and innovators of their time? Who defines ‘high art’? Editor: It gives me a totally new perspective! I’m now thinking of geometric pattern work with economic empowerment and access, thank you! Curator: I hope you take a deeper look into Renaissance art.