Schön newes Modelbuch (Page 54r)

Art Historical Context

Welcome to page 54r from *Schön newesbuch* ("Beautiful New Model Book"), 1608 woodcut by Sigismundus Latomus, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department. This intimate page, measuring just 4½ x 6⅝ inches, captures the essence of early 17th-century pattern—essential guides for artisans crafting textiles, metalwork, and architecture. Latomus, a German designer, filled his model books with intricate motifs to inspire goldsmiths, embroiderers, and engravers across Europe. Rendered in crisp woodcut technique, the page showcases dynamic vignettes of birds, men, and deer intertwined in ornamental designs. Woodcuts like this allowed for affordable reproduction, democratizing elaborate Renaissance patterns during the transition to Baroque exuberance. These motifs reflect the era's fascination with nature and the hunt, blending realism with stylized flourishes for decorative versatility. As part of the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund acquisition of 1924, this work highlights the cultural role of model books in standardizing artistic motifs, influencing everything from church altars to fashionable attire. A window into the workshops of old Europe, it invites you to trace the elegant lines that once guided master craftsmen.

About the Artist

Sigismundus Latomus · 1599–1632

Sigismundus Latomus, born in Schleusingen, Germany, around 1599, emerged as a prominent publisher and printer in Frankfurt am Main during the early seventeenth century. Little is known about his early life or formal training, as historical records focus primarily on his professional output rather than personal background. Active from 1599 until his death around 1627, Latomus specialized in the pro...