Artwork
Strapwork and Foliage Ornament on Dark Ground with Monkeys and other Animals
Strapwork and Foliage Ornament on Dark Ground with Monkeys and other Animals is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Virgil Solis. It dates from 1538 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Virgil Solis, an early‑sixteenth‑century German draughtsman and printmaker active in Nuremberg, produced the engraving titled *Strapwork and Foliage Ornament on Dark Ground with Monkeys and other Animals* in 1538. The work exemplifies his skill in combining ornamental design with figurative elements on a single copper plate.
Subject & Meaning
The composition intertwines elaborate strapwork—a network of interlaced bands—and stylised foliage, within which a variety of animals, notably monkeys, birds and other creatures, are concealed. The playful placement of the beasts among the decorative motifs suggests a lighthearted, perhaps allegorical, engagement with nature and ornament.
Technique & Style
Executed as an intaglio engraving, Solis incised the design into a metal plate, allowing ink to settle in the recessed lines before being transferred to paper under pressure. The dark ground is achieved by printing a dense, nearly black field, while the finer lines of the strapwork and animal forms emerge in contrasting white, creating a striking chiaroscuro effect.
History & Provenance
The print originates from Solis’s prolific period in the mid‑1500s, when his family workshop supplied a range of decorative prints for the German market. Surviving copies are found in several European print collections, indicating a wide distribution shortly after its creation.
Context
During the Renaissance, ornamental prints served both as decorative objects and as pattern books for craftsmen. Solis’s integration of lively animal figures within intricate geometric and vegetal frameworks reflects the era’s fascination with combining naturalistic detail and abstract ornamentation.
Legacy
While not as widely cited as his narrative series, this engraving illustrates Solis’s versatility and contributes to the broader understanding of German decorative printmaking in the 16th century, influencing later ornamental designs in book illustration and metalwork.
Artist & collection
Artist
Virgil Solis or Virgilius Solis (1514 – 1 August 1562), a member of a prolific family of artists, was a German draughtsman and printmaker in engraving, etching and woodcut who worked in his native city of Nuremberg.
