New Modelbüch (Page 6v) 1615

This is page 6v from the “New Modelbüch”, created by Andreas Bretschneider around the turn of the 17th century. Bretschneider was working in a world where access to land, resources, and even leisure activities like hunting were deeply stratified along class lines. The book is a pattern book, filled with designs for artisans to use in creating luxury goods, and we see motifs associated with the upper classes: hunting scenes with dogs chasing deer and foxes, alongside ornamental details. Who gets to enjoy the thrill of the hunt, and who is excluded? The drawing represents a complex intersection of power, privilege, and artistic expression during the late Renaissance. Consider how these images might have been used to adorn objects within elite households, reinforcing a sense of status and authority. The book gives us an intimate look into the visual culture of the time, and perhaps asks us to consider the legacy of these hierarchies.