New Künstlichs Modelbuch (Page 15 recto) 1600

Editor: This is a page from Bernhard Jobin's "New K\u00fcnstlichs Modelbuch," made around 1600. It's a woodcut print filled with rows of these intricate, almost pixelated patterns. What strikes me is how modern it feels despite its age. What can you tell me about these recurring symbols and patterns? Curator: It's a fascinating piece, isn't it? Look closely. You see griffins, vines laden with grapes - powerful symbols in Renaissance iconography. The griffin, a guardian, a symbol of strength and vigilance, often found its place in heraldry, emblems, or decorative schemes in domestic settings to subtly convey protection, courage, wisdom, and watchfulness to inhabitants. And then the grape vines; can you think what that symbolizes? Editor: Maybe abundance or fertility? It seems like something connected to nature and growth. Curator: Precisely. The natural elements would often be combined in these sorts of instructional drawings. Look at how geometric all the illustrations are. Consider it in its totality - these repeating, almost infinitely expandable patterns are, in essence, a vocabulary of form. Jobin is passing on not just skill but a whole system of thought and representation. Each emblem signifies a piece of their memory or world views. What about the context might shift those cultural views? Editor: So, it’s almost like reading a language encoded in these ornaments, with cultural values and shared history embedded within them. It's more than just pretty decoration then. Curator: Exactly. This was cultural information to its Renaissance audience. Knowing what the cultural views were back then. This piece is a tool of preserving and continuing that. Editor: It's like a cultural seed bank! I never would have thought to view this kind of drawing that way.