Les Singuliers et Nouveaux Portraicts... page 41 (verso) 1588

This is page 41, verso, from Les Singuliers et Nouveaux Portraicts, created by Federico de Vinciolo in the late 16th century. The dense arrangement of squares commands our attention; black punctuates the off-white ground, forming an intricate, almost pixelated design. The image's structure, with its symmetrical layout, hints at a deeper order. The rigid grid is softened by the organic motifs that seem to emerge. A formal reading reveals how pattern and repetition are not merely decorative but structural, creating a visual language that speaks to the era's fascination with codes and systems. The symmetry suggests a world of balance and order. The image becomes a site of semiotic play, where squares act as signs, each carrying a certain weight within the composition. This interplay invites us to see how these elements, reminiscent of early computer graphics, question the nature of representation and the boundaries between the abstract and the figurative. We are left to ponder how the pattern subverts our expectations, blurring the line between representation and abstraction.