Studio delle virtuose Dame, page 26 (recto) 1597

This is a page from "Studio delle virtuose Dame," made around 1600 by Isabella Catanea Parasole. It’s an instructional woodcut, meant to teach women a kind of needlework known as punto a maglia, or knotting. Consider all that's implied by the image. We see only the design, not the textile that would result. This pattern is rendered in stark black and white, emphasizing the geometric nature of the craft. Knotting was a laborious, time-consuming process. Patterns like this one allowed women to create intricate, beautiful objects for the home, offering an outlet for creativity, but also representing countless hours of labor. Parasole, herself a virtuosa, presented knotting not just as a domestic task but as a skilled practice worthy of study. She elevates the status of women's work, giving it legitimacy and visibility, challenging the traditional distinctions between art and craft that persist to this day.