Tien consoles en balusters of termen 1622

This print depicts five different designs for consoles and balusters, those upright supports so crucial to architecture. These aren’t traditional art materials, but a kind of industrial design rendered in ink on paper. The printmaking process itself, probably etching, allowed for the dissemination of these ideas. Consider this sheet as a catalyst for production. These designs could be applied to woodwork or stonework. Each design has a distinct character – some more organic with foliage, others more architectural with classical motifs. The anonymous artist has captured the texture and form of these potential supports, ready for the hand of a skilled artisan to bring them into being. The print’s importance lies not just in aesthetics, but in how it democratizes design. These patterns, once sketched, become accessible blueprints for a whole range of makers. It collapses the distinction between the art of design and the craft of making.