Schon newes Modelbuch...Page 3(r) 1617

Editor: This is a page from *Schon newes Modelbuch,* a book of patterns created by Sigismundus Latomus in 1617. It's a drawing and a print, full of geometric shapes. Honestly, it looks a bit like architectural blueprints dreamed up by someone with a serious sweet tooth – all lace and frosting! What strikes you about it? Curator: “Frosting blueprints”— I love that! It's a glimpse into a world obsessed with order and embellishment, wouldn’t you say? Imagine those crisp Renaissance collars, practically sculptures in their own right. This pattern book, beyond being decorative, was a vital tool for artisans. Think of it as a Pinterest board of the 17th century. Each geometric element, meticulously rendered, could inspire an embroiderer, a lacemaker… or even a baker! Do you see how each section seems almost self-contained, a complete idea? Editor: I do! It's like a sampler of design elements. So, it wasn't just about copying the designs exactly, but more about remixing them? Curator: Precisely! The artisan absorbed these visual cues and then, through their skill and imagination, birthed something entirely new. It’s that interplay of structured pattern and individual flair, almost improvisational. It is fascinating to consider the tension between this rigid geometry and the very fluid nature of creating textiles, right? Editor: It definitely is, and something I hadn’t quite appreciated! Now, I see this page less as a static design and more like a launchpad for creativity. It is actually quite interesting. Curator: Isn’t it though? And that’s often the magic of looking closely at historical designs: they reveal these amazing, unexpected layers of meaning and possibility, centuries after their creation.