“The Fifth Knot”. Interlaced Roundel with Seven Six-pointed Stars

Description

The Fifth Knot by Albrecht Dürer, after designs associated with Leonardo da Vinci or his workshop, forms an intricate roundel of interlacing strands and seven six-pointed stars. Pale lines weave across a dark circular ground, while leafy corner ornaments extend the design into the square beyond. The stars give the dense network a series of distinct visual anchors.

Made before 1521, this woodcut invites the viewer to move between the large circular arrangement and its minute crossings. Repetition provides order, yet the paths remain lively and absorbing. The contrast of light and dark makes the elaborate pattern surprisingly clear, turning ornament into an engaging study of continuity, geometric rhythm and the pleasure of following a line through many transformations.