The vienna model book

Brilliance and Virtuosity of a Bohemian Artist around 1400

Maple Tablets and a Leather-Cut Case – a Precious Frame for a Noble Artwork
 

Even the outer form of the Vienna Model Book is unusual: a total of 14 small maple wood tablets are protected by a precious dark leather-cut case. Each of the tablets contains four of the fine and detailed drawings, framed by small borders. The tablets were originally mounted as a leporello; the precious leather case was designed for protection and, with a strap, likely served as a carrying case. The purpose of the Vienna Model Book remains unclear to this day: Was it a collection of models for a traveling artist familiar with the art of Bohemia as well as that of France and Italy, or was the artwork intended for a patron – a gift as thanks or an advertisement for life-sustaining commissions?

Finest executed portraits and fabulous creatures

In the 56 drawings of the Vienna Model Book, the artist shines with 39 (two of which were added in the second quarter of the 15th century) superbly executed, extraordinarily individualized portrait heads that are of Dürer-like quality, 16 depictions of animals and fabulous creatures, and an expressionistic-looking skull. Particularly fascinating is the only full-figure depiction of a spider, which, like all the drawings in this virtuoso piece, stands out brilliantly against a green-gray background that distorts everything.

The head types show their connection to sacred-Christian pictorial themes – such as the Madonna, the Annunciation angel, the Christ child, Christ on the cross, or the apostles – as well as to the secular-courtly world. Among all the spaceless heads and busts, the viewer also discovers a charming youth looking into a round water basin: Narcissus, who, because of the beauty of his reflection, was certainly conceptually associated with painting as early as the 15th century.

This universe of the "Soft Style" of the highest quality is primarily aimed at astonishing the viewer – both today and 600 years ago – and showcasing the skills of its creator. The Vienna Model Book is a late testimony to what is commonly referred to as the school of King Wenceslas, and in this capacity, it serves as a summation of what Bohemian art had achieved since the times of Emperor Charles IV and Peter Parler, while also forming a link to the later painting of the 15th century.

A medieval artist and book painter showcases his skills

The Vienna Model Book is an incredible and probably unique jewel in its form and is one of the major attractions of the Kunstkammer collection at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The edition gives a selected circle of collectors the opportunity to experience great art in a small format.

Finest miniatures of the highest quality in unique configuration

56 pen drawings heightened with white and red on greenish paper, mounted on foldable wooden tablets (each 9.5 cm high and 9 cm wide), in a leather case, created around 1410 to 1420 in Bohemia or Austria. They likely served as a model collection for a traveling artist. The depictions of 56 heads, busts, as well as animals and fabulous creatures, show influences from Bohemia, France, and Italy and give an impression of the variety of forms of the “International Style.”

The commentary volume

Dr. Maria Theisen of the Commission for Writing and Book Studies at the Austrian Academy of Sciences and a scholar at the Institute for Art History at the University of Vienna was secured for the commentary on the Vienna Model Book. Prof. Dr. Eberhard König explains the significance and role of model books in medieval art in the appendix.
 

"The Vienna Model Book: A Jewel of Medieval Art"