Vier schachten van composiete zuilen gedecoreerd met rolwerk, grotesken, lauwerkransen en guirlandes 1593 - 1595

Wendel Dietterlin created this engraving, ‘Four Shafts of Composite Columns Decorated with Arabesques, Grotesques, Laurel Wreaths, and Garlands’, using ink on paper. The composition is dominated by four columns, each meticulously detailed, standing side by side. The lines are crisp, exhibiting a stark contrast between light and shadow, which renders an almost tactile quality to the columns. Each column is a study in decorative excess, adorned with figures, foliage, and geometric patterns, creating a dense, textured surface. These columns can be viewed as architectural conceits; Dietterlin transforms the classical column into a canvas for boundless invention. The rigid, vertical structure of the columns contrasts with the fluid, organic motifs, setting up a dynamic visual tension. The engraving challenges fixed meanings of classical forms and invites ongoing interpretation.