Fries met bladranken 1512 - 1560

Heinrich Aldegrever created this ornament with leaf tendrils in print in the first half of the 16th century. As a form of the decorative frieze, it is a reminder of the significance of ornament in early modern Northern Europe. Printed ornament served as a pattern for other artworks across media; its circulation was deeply embedded in the culture of making. In this period, the rise of printmaking and the printing press allowed for the mass production and distribution of images. The rising merchant class and the expansion of cities created new markets for such images. Consider how prints like these shaped the visual environment of both domestic and religious spaces. Aldegrever was part of the German Little Masters, a group of printmakers who made small-scale engravings for a growing urban audience. The study of prints such as this is about understanding the history of art as part of the history of commerce, manufacture, and the built environment. Catalogues, inventories, and other archival sources can all shed light on the production, consumption, and circulation of such images.