Book cover with overall zigzag pattern
19th century
Medium
Relief print (wood or metal)
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 3/16 in. × 13 in. (23.4 × 33 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1926
Accession Number
26.71.9(56)
Art Historical Context
This striking 19th-century book print, created anonymously using relief printing techniques on wood or metal, showcases an overall zigzag pattern that exemplifies the bold geometric designs popular in decorative arts of the era. Measuring 9 3/16 × 13 inches, the sheet's repetitive motifs create a dynamic, rhythmic surface ideal for protecting and adorning books—everyday objects turned into visual delights. Relief printing, where the design is carved in relief and inked for transfer, allowed for efficient production, making such patterns accessible beyond elite workshops. Held in the Metropoli...
About the Artist
Anonymous
In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...