Corona delle Nobile et Virtuose Donne, Libro Terzo, page 2 (recto)

Printmaking in woodcut and engraving came to Northern Italy within a few decades of their invention north of the Alps. Engraving probably came first to Florence in the 1440s, the goldsmith Maso Finiguerra (1426–64) used the technique. Italian engraving caught the very early Renaissance, 1460–1490. Print copying was a widely accepted practice, as well as copying of paintings viewed as images in their own right.

Cesare Vecellio, born around 1521 and believed to have died around 1601, was an Italian engraver and painter. He was a cousin of the famous Venetian painter Titian, and he is best known for his work in the field of costume design and fashion illustration. Vecellio's most notable work is the book "Degli Habiti Antichi et Moderni di Diverse Parti del Mondo" (Of the Ancient and Modern Habits of Various Parts of the World), published in 1590. This book contains illustrations of the clothing and costumes of various regions and social classes, ranging from ancient civilizations to Vecellio's contemporary Europe. It is considered an important resource for historians and costume designers interested in the fashions of the Renaissance period. In addition to his work as an illustrator, Vecellio also produced engravings for books and publications, often collaborating with other artists and printers of his time.