Page from Ein new kunstlich Modelbuch...(Page 41v) 1544

This page comes from a book of model patterns printed in Cologne, Germany, around 1530, by Peter Quentel. These designs were meant to be used as guides for embroidery, a pastime and skill associated with women in the Renaissance. The repeating geometric patterns reflect the period's interest in mathematical precision, a value pursued not only by artists but also by merchants and other early professionals. The book itself speaks to the development of a print culture and the rise of a middle class with the financial means to acquire such books and the leisure time to engage in activities like embroidery. Looking at the bigger picture, this model book is a window into the social and economic transformations of the Renaissance. To understand its place in history, we might look at account books, inventories, and other records that tell us more about the people who used these patterns and the world they inhabited. Art always exists in the real world, and it is the job of historians to study it.