“The Sixth Knot”. Interlaced Roundel with Seven Wreaths

“The Sixth Knot”. Interlaced Roundel with Seven Wreaths by Albrecht Dürer is an exemplary German Renaissance woodcut, created between 1500 and 1521. This intricate print belongs to Dürer’s celebrated series of six complex ornamental designs known as the Knoten (Knots). Unlike many of his narrative or portrait prints, this piece focuses purely on abstract geometry and decorative ornament. The visual puzzle involves a continuous, unbroken line that forms a complex, interlaced pattern contained within a perfect roundel.

The work’s title directly references the mathematical intricacy required to construct the design, which weaves seven distinct elements, highly reminiscent of stylized wreaths, into a unified circular form. Dürer was deeply concerned with theoretical mathematics and ideal proportions during the Renaissance, themes visible even in this sophisticated decorative design. These geometrical exercises served not only as intellectual challenges for the master but also as influential models for contemporary craftsmen, jewelers, and decorative artists across Europe who sought complex patterns for their own commissions.

The complexity of rendering a continuous, unbroken line through a demanding relief printing process like the woodcut underscores Dürer’s unparalleled technical control. The precision necessary to maintain the flow and tension of the weaving pattern, without interruption, is a hallmark of his technical genius. The enduring availability of such Renaissance prints in the public domain has ensured their continuous influence on the decorative arts across centuries. This iconic piece of graphic design and mastery of the print medium is held within the expansive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.