New Modelbüch (Page 46v)

Art Historical Context

Welcome to page 46v from *New Modelbüch a 1615 etching by German printmakers Andreas Bretsch and Henning Gross the Younger. This sheet, measuring 12 x 8 inches, hails from a pattern book (*Modelbuch*)—a vital resource for Renaissance and early Baroque craftsmen. Produced in the prosperous workshops of early 17th-century Germany these books compiled intricate designs for use in metalwork, textiles, architecture, and decorative arts, allowing artisans across Europe to replicate elegant motifs with precision. The page bursts with opulent ornamentation featuring peacocks amid blooming flowers, emblematic of the era's fascination with nature's splendor. Peacocks, symbols of immortality and divine beauty in European iconography, intertwine with floral arabesques in a harmonious, symmetrical composition typical of Northern Mannerist style. Etching, a relatively new technique at the time, enabled fine, fluid lines that captured the feathers' iridescence and petals' delicacy, making complex patterns accessible for engraving or embroidery. Held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1936), this work highlights the collaborative spirit of printmaking guilds and the democratization of design. It offers a window into how ornamental fantasies adorned everything from jewelry to facades, blending artistry with practical craft in an age of expanding trade and aesthetic refinement.

About the Artist

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

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