Model Book of Stephan Schriber

Sample books have been a documented part of the artistic work of European illuminators since the early Middle Ages. One of them was Stephan Schriber the Elder (before 1440 – after 1495), an illuminator and calligrapher from Urach who came from a family of artists. He belonged to the circle of Count Eberhart of Württemberg-Urach (1445–1496) and created an artistic compendium of templates and inspirations for the illumination of liturgical manuscripts in his remarkable model book. Begun between 1470 and 1480 and continued until 1494, the codex contains various writing samples and decorated initials, as well as numerous models of ornaments and animal depictions. On some pages, the artist arranged different layout options and tried out common iconographies such as images of saints and a donor portrait. In between, one repeatedly finds sketches of perspectively constructed interiors and fantastical drolleries. Schriber drew on impressions from surrounding libraries, where he had access to the finest book art of his time from the German-speaking world and Western Europe. This makes the Model Book of Stephan Schriber one of the most fascinating documents of the art of bookmaking in the late Middle Ages.