“Step back in time to the 17th century with this woodcut, a page from an influential pattern book. It reveals the sophisticated designs used for embroidery and lace, highlighting needlework as a celebrated art form of its era.”
This woodcut, "La Pratique de l'Aiguille, page 56 (recto)," offers a glimpse into the intricate world of 17th-century needlework design. The page features a series of delicate patterns, likely intended as templates for embroidery or lace, showcasing the geometric precision and flowing curves popular during the period. Unlike a grand painting, this print served a practical purpose: to disseminate fashionable designs to artisans and hobbyists across Europe. It reflects a time when needlework was not just a domestic skill but a significant art form, with published pattern books like this one driving innovation and setting trends. The meticulous detail in each motif, from the scrolling foliage to the interlacing knots, speaks to the high standards of craftsmanship expected in textile arts.
- Artist
- Matthias Mignerak
- Date
- 1605
- Medium
- Woodcut
- Location
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Dimensions
- Overall: 9 1/4 x 7 1/16 in. (23.5 x 18 cm)
- Collection
- Drawings and Prints
- Credit line
- Rogers Fund, 1920
What to Notice
Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.
Observe the symmetry in the central floral motif.
Notice the delicate, almost lace-like quality of the patterns.
Look for the repeated use of C-scrolls and S-scrolls.
Identify the small, intricate leaves within the larger designs.
Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through La Pratique de l'Aiguille, page 56 (recto) — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
Matthias Mignerak
Matthias Mignerak's 1605 pattern book 'La Pratique de l'Aiguille' put fine needlework into the hands of everyday embroiderers.
Further Works by Mignerak
La Pratique de l'Aiguille
1605 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
La Pratique de l'Aiguille, page 10 (recto)
1605 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
La Pratique de l'Aiguille, page 11 (recto)
1605 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
La Pratique de l'Aiguille, page 12 (recto)
1605 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
La Pratique de l'Aiguille, page 14 (recto)
1605 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
La Pratique de l'Aiguille, page 15 (recto)
1605 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
La Pratique de l'Aiguille, page 16 (recto)
1605 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
La Pratique de l'Aiguille, page 17 (recto)
1605 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
More works to explore
Beyond Mignerak: works from the same years.
Same era · 1590s–1620s
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The Entombment of Christ
Caravaggio · 1600 · Pinacoteca Vaticana
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Kitchen Scene
Diego Velázquez · 1618 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1590s–1620s
Boy with a Lute
Frans Hals · 1620 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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The Feast in the House of Simon
El Greco (Doménikos Theotokópoulos) and workshop · 1608 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1590s–1620s
Winter Landscape with Snowfall near Antwerp
Jan Brueghel the Elder · 1610
Same era · 1590s–1620s
Flower Arrangements
Artist Unknown - The Mercat Cross, Aberdeen · 1595 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1590s–1620s
The Calling of Saint Matthew
Hendrick ter Brugghen · 1609 · Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
Same era · 1590s–1620s
An Allegory of Fruitfulness
Jacob Jordaens · 1620 · Wallace Collection
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The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne
Georges de La Tour · 1600 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Flowers and Birds
Zhou Zhimian · 1595 · Los Angeles County Museum of Art