Fiore D'Ogni Virtu Per le Nobili Et Honeste Matrone, page 17 (recto)

Art Historical Context

Step into the intricate world of early 17th-century Italian design with *Fiore D'Ogni Virtu Per le Nobili Eteste Matrone* (Flower of Every Virtue for Noble and Honest Matrons page 17 (recto), a delicate woodcut print created around 1610 by Isabellaanea Parasole, with contributions from Antonio Fachetti This page, measuring 7 7/8 x 10 1/4 inches, hails from a pattern book housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints, gifted through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund 1937. Adorned with floral motifs, it exemplifies the ornamental elegance prized in Renaissance-era books. Parasole, one of the few documented female printmakers of her time, specialized in instructional manuals for lace, embroidery, and needlework, tailored for "noble and honest matrons." These books bridged art and domestic craft, empowering women to create virtuous, decorative works that symbolized moral and social refinement. Produced during Italy's transition from Mannerism to Baroque, such patterns reflected the era's fascination with nature's bounty—flowers as emblems of beauty, purity, and ingenuity. Crafted via woodcut, a technique ideal for reproducing fine details in books, this print allowed widespread access to sophisticated designs. Its architectural and ornamental classification underscores its role in inspiring textiles, furnishings, and personal adornments, blending utility with artistry in a single, blooming page.

About the Artist

Isabella Catanea Parasole|Antonio Fachetti (Italian|Italian) · 1565 | –1625 |

Italian, ca. 1565/70–ca. 1625|