“Step into the world of Renaissance design with this intricate woodcut. It's a pattern book page from 1563, offering a glimpse into the templates used by artisans to create lavish textiles and lacework.”
This woodcut, from Matteo Pagano's 1563 pattern book "Trionfo Di Virtu. Libro Novo...", presents a dense, intricate design intended for textile arts. The page is filled with a repeating pattern of stylized floral motifs, intertwined ribbons, and geometric shapes, all rendered with the crisp lines characteristic of woodblock printing. This particular page likely served as a template for embroiderers, lacemakers, or weavers, offering a visual vocabulary for creating elaborate decorations on fabrics. The repeating nature of the design, with its symmetrical elements and flowing curves, demonstrates the period's fascination with ornamental complexity. It reflects a time when printed patterns were essential tools for artisans, bridging the gap between artistic invention and practical application in the decorative arts.
- Artist
- Matteo Pagano
- Date
- 1563
- Medium
- Woodcut
- Location
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Dimensions
- Overall: 9 13/16 x 7 7/8 in. (25 x 20 cm)
- Collection
- Drawings and Prints
- Credit line
- Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1937
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.
Observe the central quatrefoil shape, formed by four heart-like leaves.
Notice the delicate, almost feathery tendrils that extend from the main motifs.
Look at the small, tightly packed dots used to create texture and shading.
See how the design is mirrored horizontally and vertically, creating a seamless repeat.
1 more detail is waiting.
See all 5 in Art Whisper →Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through Trionfo Di Virtu. Libro Novo..., page 11 (recto) — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
Matteo Pagano
Matteo Pagano, an Italian printmaker, created intricate woodcut designs for lace patterns and other decorative arts in 16th-century Venice.
Further Works by Pagano
Spechio di pensieri delle belle et Virtudiose donne, page 14 (recto)
1546 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Ornamento delle belle & virtuose donne, page 6 (recto)
1554 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Trionfo Di Virtu. Libro Novo..., page 13 (verso)
1563 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Trionfo Di Virtu. Libro Novo..., page 15 (recto)
1563 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Trionfo Di Virtu. Libro Novo..., page 16 (verso)
1563 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Trionfo Di Virtu. Libro Novo..., page 25 (recto)
1563 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Trionfo Di Virtu. Libro Novo..., page 28 (recto)
1563 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Trionfo Di Virtu. Libro Novo..., page 29 (verso)
1563 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
More works to explore
Beyond Pagano: works from the same years.
Same era · 1540s–1570s
Penitent Magdalene
Titian · 1575
Same era · 1540s–1570s
The Assumption of the Virgin
El Greco · 1577 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1540s–1570s
The Tower of Babel
Pieter Bruegel the Elder · 1563
Same era · 1540s–1570s
The Meeting of Jacob and Rebecca, and Isaac Blessing Jacob from The Story of Jacob
Workshop of Jan van Tieghem · 1560 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1540s–1570s
Virgin and Child in a Church, also known as the Van Maelbeke Virgin
Wierix · 1575 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1540s–1570s
Close Helmet with Falling Buffe
Pompeo della Cesa · 1565 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1540s–1570s
Winter Landscape with Snowfall near Antwerp
Lucas van Valckenborch · 1575 · Städel Museum
Same era · 1540s–1570s
Virgin and Child with the infant Saint John the Baptist
Matteo Florimi · 1576 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art