Cover Page from Geometria et Perspectiva

Art Historical Context

Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, where we encounter the *Cover Page from Geomet et Perspectiva* (1567), a captivating woodcut by German artists Hans Rogel and Lorenzer. This intricately designed sheet, measuring 9 13/16 × 7 5/8 inches, serves as the frontispiece for a bound volume containing 13. Woodcuts like this were a hallmark of16th-century printing, enabling precise geometric patterns and architectural motifs to be reproduced affordably for scholars and artists. Created during the Renaissance, when mathematical precision revolutionized art and architecture, this work reflects the era's fascination with *geometria* (geometry) and *perspectiva* (perspective). Rogel, a skilled engraver, and Stoer, known for his imaginative, crystalline landscapes, likely collaborated to showcase fantastical buildings and orthogonal projections—essential tools for rendering three-dimensional space on a flat surface. The tags of "Buildings" and "Geometry" highlight its focus on ornamental architecture, bridging art with the scientific advancements of figures like Albrecht Dürer. As part of The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, this piece offers a window into how Renaissance polymaths democratized knowledge, influencing everything from cathedral designs to illusory paintings. Imagine flipping through its pages, unlocking the secrets of harmonious proportions that still shape our world! (198 words)

About the Artist

Hans Rogel|Lorenz Stoer (German|German) · |1530 – |1621

|German, ca. 1530–after 1621