Splendore delle virtuose giovani, page 5 (verso) 1564

This page, from "Splendore delle virtuose giovani," was created in the 16th century by Iseppo Foresto using woodcut on paper. Its repeating patterns may strike us as simple, but their creation relied on considerable technical mastery. To make this print, Foresto would have used a sharp knife to carve away the negative space around the design from a block of wood, leaving the lines and shapes in relief. Ink would then be applied to the remaining surface and the image transferred to paper with a press. Note the grid underlying the image. This facilitated the enlargement of design ideas, or their transfer to textile. Prints like this one served as pattern books for lacemakers and embroiderers. They were made in multiples, unlike unique works of art, which made them much more accessible. This brings up interesting questions about who gets to be creative, and who benefits from their labor. While Foresto’s name is known, we know much less about the women who used these designs to create beautiful textiles. Seeing this print, we can appreciate the rich history of craft and design and its relation to the fine arts.