Gothic ornament 

This pencil drawing of Gothic ornament is by Karl Ballenberger and is held at the Städel Museum. The drawing presents a frieze of ornamental forms, each contained within a square or rectangle. The repeating patterns are based on plant forms or geometric shapes. Ballenberger's approach reflects an interest in the visual language of Gothic architecture. The structural repetition and symmetry present in the drawing are inherent to Gothic design. The semiotic system at play here uses recognizable shapes – such as quatrefoils and stylized leaves – as signs that refer to an era known for its ornate ecclesiastical buildings. The drawing destabilizes the established meanings of Gothic art by extracting decorative elements from their original context. This allows us to see the underlying formal structures which once symbolized religious devotion or civic pride. By isolating these shapes on paper, Ballenberger encourages us to consider them as abstract forms that communicate their own aesthetic logic. It is an invitation to reinterpret, and find new relevance in the old.