Page from Eyn Newe kunstlich moetdelboech alle kunst (Page 2v)

Art Historical Context

Step into the intricate world of 16th design with *Page from Eyn Newe kunst moetdelboech alle (Page 2v)*, a woodcut print by Quentel from 1532. This yet masterful page, measuring just 5 11/16 x 8 1/16 inches, hails from one of the earliest German pattern books—essentially a "model book" for and craftsmen. Printed in Cologne, where Quentel operated as a pioneering publisher, it offered ready-to-use motifs for decoration, reflecting the Renaissance hunger for classical-inspired ornamentation. Woodcuts like this were revolutionary for their time, allowing affordable reproduction of detailed desi...

About the Artist

Peter Quentel · 1500–1550

Peter Quentel (ca. 1500–1546) was a prominent German printer and publisher based in Cologne, active from 1518 until his death on March 1, 1546. The son of the esteemed printer Heinrich Quentel (d. 1501), Peter began issuing books under his own name around 1518 and fully assumed control of the family press by 1520, eventually serving multiple terms as a Cologne city councilman. His early life is no...