Sheet with Flower and Diamond Pattern

German 16th Century

1550

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance

About this work

This image shows a repeating pattern of flowers and diamonds on a light beige background. The shapes are simple but precise, with flowers at the center of each diamond and small leaves filling the gaps. The lines are dark and clean, almost like a stencil. This is a woodcut, which means the design was carved into wood and then printed. The artist used sharp lines to create a pattern that looks both decorative and balanced. If you like this kind of detailed design, look up woodcut to see how it works.