La Vera Perfettione del Disegno di varie sorti di recami, page 39 (recto) 1567

This is page 39 from *La Vera Perfettione del Disegno di varie sorti di recami*, made by Giovanni Ostaus around 1600, using woodcut and letterpress on paper. These weren't traditional art materials, but rather taken from the world of printing. The image shows patterns for embroidery, made from simple marks. Look closely, and you can see the ways in which the material and processes employed influenced its appearance. The design has a rigidity, with motifs that fit into the grid of woven cloth, and its texture is determined by the sharp bite of the woodcut. Designs like these testify to the increasingly complex division of labor that characterized early capitalism. Ostaus was part of a chain that involved growers of flax or cotton, spinners, weavers, dyers, and of course the end user, who would have painstakingly followed the design. Understanding this context helps us appreciate the intricate and often overlooked relationships between art, labor, and everyday life, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.