Lucidario di Recami, page 3 (recto) 1564

Editor: This is “Lucidario di Recami, page 3 (recto)” from 1564, a pen and ink drawing by Iseppo Foresto. It feels very deliberate, almost like a technical drawing. What was Foresto exploring here? Curator: Well, imagine yourself in the 16th century. "Technical" meant something different then! This wasn’t about engines or architecture, but about something just as vital: embellishment. These “Lucidario” pages, were design ideas, a spark of inspiration. This is pure playful delight with ornament. See the floral flourishes trapped, almost tamed, within the grid? Like nature fighting geometry, or perhaps dancing with it. Editor: I see the tension you mean – the grid wants order, but the vines seem to want to break free. Do you think that Foresto succeeded in combining both? Curator: Succeeded? That's too strong a word. It's an experiment, a query. Each page is a possibility, an “essay” if you will. These vines aren’t growing wildly – they're considering a pattern. Ask yourself not "did he succeed," but rather "where would this design take *me*?" What craft or creation would you want to see emerge using this? Editor: I guess thinking of it as a starting point, not a finished work, really opens up possibilities. I almost want to pick up a needle and thread to make it real now! Curator: Exactly! It’s the imperfection, the hint of the hand, that ignites our own imaginations. That's the magic of a sketchbook, especially one from so long ago. Editor: It’s funny; it looks so rigid at first, but you’re right. Seeing it as an open-ended possibility changes everything. Curator: Beautiful isn't it? We found some possibilities just waiting there between the ink and the paper.