La Pratique de l'Aiguille, page 13 (recto) 1605

Matthias Mignerak created this image, "La Pratique de l'Aiguille," as a page in a book demonstrating needlework patterns. Produced in France, the design is a woodcut on laid paper which we estimate was made in the 17th century. The grid-like structure with the figure of a person surrounded by birds can be viewed as an early form of what we now call pixel art. It reflects a growing democratization of knowledge at that time, where printed materials were becoming more accessible to a wider audience. Books such as this played a crucial role in disseminating artistic and practical knowledge, moving it out of the hands of exclusive guilds and into the homes of ordinary people. The image is a product of its time, reflecting both artistic innovation and social change. To understand such pieces fully, historians delve into the archives of printing houses, libraries, and private collections to piece together the story of how art and ideas circulated in early modern Europe.