La Vera Perfettione del Disegno di varie sorti di recami, page 30 (recto) 1567

Curator: Well, look at this lively page! This is a print titled "La Vera Perfettione del Disegno di varie sorti di recami, page 30 (recto)," created by Giovanni Ostaus in 1567. It's an engraving, part of a book showcasing designs for embroidery, I think, and it's just brimming with Renaissance exuberance. Editor: Exuberant, certainly, though that term almost feels quaint to describe it. It's a high contrast decorative element from a page, so densely packed, a playful chaos rendered in precise lines. Curator: Exactly! Ostaus packs the frame with three horizontal friezes. The top one has birds, sort of monstrous yet endearing birds...Then a playful middle, full of these tiny cherubs pulling a bear along, of all things! Below that, an ornamented line with lush plant life with a central vase. I wonder about that procession and the bear—is that from somewhere specific, some tale everyone knew back then? I almost want to cheer them all on. Editor: That middle register functions structurally to invert the traditional figure/ground relationship. Look at how the tight network of linkages among the figures becomes the primary plane. The background, in turn, only exists to separate each group of cherubs from each other—or in the middle from the bear. Without that stark contrast the playful actions would likely get lost. It is indeed captivating. Curator: A little theatrical, isn't it? Almost like a scene from a masque. This isn’t mere decoration; there’s a story, or stories, being hinted at, if you dig deep enough. Or, who knows, maybe it's pure whimsy. It doesn't have to mean anything to be pleasing to look at. Editor: Precisely, a story hinted at. One almost doesn't need to grasp the intended meaning to appreciate how it operates at a compositional level. Consider the arrangement of elements across each band, and how the composition offers not only narrative engagement but decorative refinement. And note the almost hypnotic repetition; a precursor of graphic design. Curator: I think, in the end, whether it’s instruction or a dance of the imagination, this print does exactly what it promises: displays a 'true perfection of drawing’ and that can give joy centuries later. Editor: Yes, “true perfection” maybe understood in both its rigorous rendering and how it invites a reader's imaginative contribution across time.