“Stop to appreciate this intricate woodcut from a 16th-century Italian pattern book, offering a glimpse into the sophisticated designs that guided Renaissance embroidery and textile arts.”
This woodcut, "Fiori di Ricami Nuovamente Posti in Luce, page 9 (recto)," presents a delicate geometric pattern, a testament to the intricate needlework popular in late 16th-century Italy. The design features a repeating motif of stylized flowers and leaves, arranged in a precise grid that suggests a template for embroidery. Each element is rendered with a fine balance of solid lines and open spaces, creating a sense of lightness despite the density of the pattern. Published in 1591, this print comes from a pattern book, a common resource for artisans and wealthy households alike, providing inspiration and instruction for textile arts. These books were essential for disseminating fashionable designs across Europe, influencing everything from domestic linens to elaborate court attire. The woodcut medium, with its crisp lines and strong contrasts, was ideal for reproducing these patterns, making them accessible for study and replication.
- Artist
- Matteo Florimi
- Date
- 1591
- Medium
- Woodcut
- Location
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Dimensions
- Overall: 5 1/2 x 7 7/8 in. (14 x 20 cm)
- Collection
- Drawings and Prints
- Credit line
- The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1953
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The central floral motif, a six-petaled blossom with a dotted center
How the leaves spiral outwards from the central flower
The delicate dots and dashes within the petals, adding texture
The repeating diagonal lines that connect each floral unit
1 more detail is waiting.
See all 5 in Art Whisper →Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through Fiori di Ricami Nuovamente Posti in Luce, page 9 (recto) — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
Matteo Florimi
1540–1603Matteo Florimi was a prolific Italian engraver and publisher, known for his religious prints and intricate embroidery patterns.
Further Works by Florimi
Virgin and Child with the infant Saint John the Baptist
1576 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Crucifixion with the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Evangelist, angels overhead
1588 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Fiori di Ricami Nuovamente Posti in Luce, page 11 (recto)
1591 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Fiori di Ricami Nuovamente Posti in Luce, page 18 (recto)
1591 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Fiori di Ricami Nuovamente Posti in Luce, page 4 (recto)
1591 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Fiori di Ricami Nuovamente Posti in Luce, page 6 (recto)
1591 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Fiori di Ricami Nuovamente Posti in Luce, page 7 (recto)
1591 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Fiori di Ricami Nuovamente Posti in Luce, page 8 (recto)
1591 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
More works to explore
Beyond Florimi: works from the same years.
Same era · 1570s–1600s
Saint Francis Kneeling in Meditation
El Greco · 1597 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1570s–1600s
The Entombment of Christ
Caravaggio · 1600 · Pinacoteca Vaticana
Same era · 1570s–1600s
Flower Arrangements
Artist Unknown - The Mercat Cross, Aberdeen · 1595 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1570s–1600s
The Lamentation with Saint Francis and Two Angels
Peter Paul Rubens · 1603 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1570s–1600s
Wooded landscape with a road
Jan Brueghel the Elder · 1602
Same era · 1570s–1600s
Female Head
Gaetano Gandolfi · 1592 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1570s–1600s
Flowers and Birds
Zhou Zhimian · 1595 · Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Same era · 1570s–1600s
Half Armor for the Foot Tournament
Pompeo della Cesa · 1585 · Cleveland Museum of Art
Same era · 1570s–1600s
The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne
Georges de La Tour · 1600 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1570s–1600s
La Pratique de l'Aiguille, page 11 (recto)
Matthias Mignerak · 1605 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
