La Pratique de l'Aiguille, page 7 (recto)
Medium
Woodcut
Dimensions
Overall: 9 1/4 x 7 1/16 in. (23.5 x 18 cm)
Classification
Books|Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1920
Accession Number
20.50.1(10)
Tags
Art Historical Context
This woodcut from 1605 forms page 7 (recto) of *La Pratique de l’Aiguille*, a French pattern book devoted to the art of needlework. Created through the collaborative efforts of designer Matthias Mignerak, engraver Pierre Firens, publisher Jean Le Clerc, and with connections to Queen Marie de’ Medici, the volume reflects the early-seventeenth-century enthusiasm for ornamental prints that guided women in embroidery and lace-making. Its modest size—roughly 9¼ by 7 inches—made it practical for studio or domestic use, while the woodcut technique allowed crisp, repeatable motifs to be disseminated w...
About the Artist
Matthias Mignerak|Pierre Firens|Marie de Medici|Jean Le Clerc (Italian| | |French) · 1575 | | |1641 –1642 | | |1641
Florence 1575–1642 Colgne| | |French, born Paris 1641