New Modelbüch (Page 49r) 1615

This is page 49r from Andreas Bretschneider's 'New Modelbüch,' a book of designs made in the 16th or 17th century. Notice the decorative border teeming with symbolic life. We see fantastical creatures intertwined with foliage, a dance of nature and imagination. The motif of the wild man appears at the bottom, a figure found across cultures, embodying primal instincts and the untamed aspects of the human psyche. In ancient Roman festivals, the wild man was a symbol of chaos, while in medieval tapestries, he represented the struggle between civilization and nature. Observe how the wild man motif is charged with psychological weight—it speaks to our own internal conflicts. This archetype resurfaces in modern art and literature, each time reflecting evolving cultural anxieties. Bretschneider taps into a deep well of collective memory, creating a powerful image that resonates on a subconscious level.