Twee Korinthische hoofdgestellen met console en gedecoreerd met guirlandes en mascarons 1593 - 1595

Wendel Dietterlin created this print of two Corinthian capitals decorated with garlands and masks sometime in the late 16th century. Dietterlin lived in a time marked by the rise of humanism, and profound shifts in religious and political power. This image is part of a larger project that demonstrates Dietterlin’s ambitions to reform architecture in the Northern Renaissance. Note how he freely mixed classical elements with grotesque masks. These jarring juxtapositions were his method to provoke an emotional and intellectual response. He embraced ornamentation as a means to evoke a sense of wonder and awe. Dietterlin was definitely trying to challenge the established norms of architectural design, daring to venture into the realm of the unconventional and expressive.