Ornamento nobile...Fatta da Lucretia Romana (Libro V of the Corona), page 5 (recto)

Art Historical Context

This exquisite woodcut, titled *Ornamento nobile...atta da Lucretia* (page 5 recto from Libro V of the *Corona*), was created around 1620 by Alessandro' Vecchi and Cesareellio. Printed on a modest sheet measuring 12 3/16 x 8 1/4 inches, it exemplifies the intricate pattern books that flourished in Renaissance Italy. Vecellio, a Venetian engraver renowned for his detailed costume and embroidery manuals like the *Corona delle nobili eose donne* (Crown of Noble and Virtuous Ladies), collaborated here to produce designs for lace, needlework, and decorative motifs, attributed playfully to the fictional "Lucretia Romana." Woodcuts like this were revolutionary for their time, allowing affordable reproduction of complex ornamental patterns that noblewomen could replicate in silk, linen, or gold thread. The precise lines capture scrolling foliage, geometric interlacing, and floral elements—hallmarks of Mannerist ornament—bridging architecture and fashion. These books democratized elite designs, influencing textiles across Europe and reflecting the era's fascination with *grozzo* (grotesque) styles inspired by ancient Roman discoveries. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1933), this page invites visitors to appreciate how print technology empowered creativity, turning intricate visions into tangible luxury for the Renaissance home.

About the Artist

Alessandro de' Vecchi|Cesare Vecellio (Italian|Italian) · 1570 |1521 –1629 |1601

Italian, active Venice, 1570–1629|Italian, Pieve di Cadore 1521–1601 Venice