The Fourth Knot
Original title: “The Fourth Knot”. Interlaced Roundel with a Round Medallion in its Center
kurzbeschreibung
A circular ornament with a medallion at its center, Albrecht Dürer's woodcut "The Fourth Knot" dates from before 1521. It belongs to a series of knot patterns that Dürer designed as models for artisans.
Description
Interlacing lines twist symmetrically around a central medallion. Four stylized leaf motifs surround this medallion and interlock with the lines. A deep black ground contrasts with white patterns. Spirals and rosettes are distributed evenly across the surface. Clear and high-contrast, the image has no shading or light effects.
Context
Dürer's knot patterns were created between 1505 and 1507, likely as models for craftsmen such as goldsmiths or sculptors. The series comprises six sheets that were frequently reprinted later. Arabesque and ornamental traditions, which Dürer may have encountered on his Italian journey, form the basis of the patterns. The sheet was printed from a plate measuring about 27.3 x 21.2 cm; it is one of the early examples of ornamental printmaking in the Renaissance.
Impact
The strict symmetry and strong black-and-white contrast create a calm, meditative mood. Those who follow the fine, interlacing lines closely discover their mathematical precision. The motif appears decorative and at the same time intellectually demanding, without being overloaded.
Technique
The strict reduction to black and white forces the eye to follow the interwoven lines as pure pattern, with no colour to soften or separate them. Dürer uses the uncut black ground to make the white ornament read as if carved out of darkness, so the roundel's spiralling rosette appears to turn in on itself. This economy of means is what gives the sheet its ornamental clarity and its almost mathematical precision.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)