New Modelbüch allen Nägerin u. Sydenstickern (Page 24r)

Art Historical Context

This 1556 woodcut comes from *New Modelbüch allen Nägerin u. Sydenstickern*, a printed pattern book designed to guide needlewomen and silk embroiderers in creating decorative motifs. The page, attributed to designers or publishers Hans Hoffman and Jacob Frölich, features intricate bird designs that could be transferred onto fabric. As a woodcut printed in a modest book format, it exemplifies the practical art of the Renaissance, when such volumes made fashionable patterns accessible beyond court circles. Woodcuts like this one were especially valued for their crisp lines and reproducibility, allowing multiple copies to circulate among craftspeople across Europe. The book’s focus on birds reflects the period’s delight in natural forms, often drawn from nature studies or emblem books, which women then interpreted in thread on clothing, linens, and furnishings. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1930, this page preserves a vivid record of how printed ornament shaped everyday creativity in the sixteenth century.

About the Artist

Hans Hoffman|Jacob Frölich (German|German) · 1556 | –1556 |

German, active Strasbourg, 1556|