Opera Nova Universali intitulata Corona di racammi, page 10 (verso) 1530

This is page 10 from "Opera Nova Universali intitulata Corona di racammi" created by Giovanni Andrea Vavassore around the mid-16th century. The print was created as a pattern for needlework, an activity often associated with women's domestic roles during the Renaissance. Here we see imagery that would have resonated with the cultural and political climate of the time. Ships, for instance, were not only vessels of trade and exploration but also symbols of power and wealth for Venice, where Vavassore worked. The inclusion of mythological creatures alongside everyday scenes gives insight into the intersection of the real and the imagined in the period. These books provided women with a creative outlet and a means of personal expression within the confines of their social roles. They allowed women to engage with art and culture in a tangible way, transforming their domestic labor into acts of creativity and resistance.