Neu künstlich Modelbuch (page 44r) 1598

This is a page from "Neu künstlich Modelbuch," a book of model patterns made by Bernhard Jobin in the late 16th century. It’s a woodcut printed on paper, a relatively inexpensive and easily reproducible medium, which democratized design. The image shows a series of bands filled with intricate, repeating patterns. These designs are very graphic and geometric, reminiscent of embroidery or lace. The patterns are made up of tiny squares, as though they’re designs for counted cross-stitch. Imagine the painstaking work of creating these patterns by hand, and then transferring them to fabric with needle and thread. The printing press allowed these designs to be widely disseminated, influencing needlework and other crafts across Europe. It also reveals the changing status of design during the Renaissance, with pattern books like this one fueling a growing market for fashionable goods, demonstrating how the technologies of reproduction could elevate and transform traditional craft practices.