Page from Eyn Newe kunstlich moetdelboech alle kunst (Page 12r) 1532

This page from Peter Quentel’s model book, printed around 1540, presents three bands of ornamental design rendered in stark black ink against the off-white of the paper. The composition relies on symmetry and repetition to create a rhythm across the page. Each band features fantastical creatures intertwined with foliage. The top band includes winged beasts and a figure reminiscent of a ‘green man’ while the middle band showcases an ornate vase, and the bottom a pair of confronting eagles. The dense patterning invites the eye to trace the shapes and lines and to observe the interplay between positive and negative space. The structure offers a systematic arrangement where each motif seems carefully balanced. The visual grammar employed here uses cultural codes of the time, blending mythological, zoomorphic and decorative elements. This reflects a broader artistic and philosophical concern with the creation of new forms through the combination of classical motifs and imaginative invention. The page serves not just as a collection of patterns, but as a complex semiotic system ripe for interpretation.