A Foliage Ornament, ca. 1475

About the Work

Martin Schongauer produced a number of engravings depicting ornaments, some covering the entire surface of the sheet, some confined to a single tendril. Intended as models for goldsmiths, woodcarvers, and others, they also testify to the artist’s inventive powers as well as the relationship between natural and artistic form. The artificial, metallic looking foliage ornament with its abundance of curved shapes sprouts in lifelike manner from a cut-off branch.