New Modelbüch (Page 40v)

Art Historical Context

Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints collection, where we encounter *New Modelbüch ( 40v)*, an etching from 1615 by Henning Gross the and Andreas Bretschneider This page, measuring 12 x 8 1/16 inches, forms part of a "model book"—a practical compendium of ornamental designs cherished by artisans across Renaissance and early Baroque Europe. Created in the German-speaking regions, these books served as pattern manuals for craftsmen, offering motifs to replicate in metalwork, textiles, architecture, and more. Etching, the medium here, allowed for intricate, reproducible details through acid-etched metal plates, revolutionizing printmaking in the 17th century. Page 40v showcases floral ornaments, blending naturalistic blooms with elegant, scrolling architecture—a hallmark of Northern European decorative arts. These designs reflect the era's fascination with nature's abundance, stylized for symmetry and grandeur amid the transition to Baroque opulence. Acquired through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1936, this work highlights how model books democratized sophisticated ornamentation, influencing workshops from Augsburg to Amsterdam. Imagine goldsmiths or stonemasons poring over such pages, breathing life into cathedrals and cabinets alike—timeless blueprints of beauty and craft.

About the Artist

Henning Gross the younger|Andreas Bretschneider (German|German) · 1573 | –1645 |

German, Dresden ca. 1578–ca. 1640 Leipzig|