Whereas the Italian influence is distinctly shown in the German wall-painting on a different plate, the examples on this plate present a strong contrast to them, and we find in this cartouche-like frame-work with its bold, fanciful volutes and elegant festoons the severity peculiar to German decoration from the commencement of the XVIIth century.  In German ecclesiastical Art the Gothic style was adhered to until far  into the XVIth century, and only in the latter half of this century was it displaced by the Renaissance in Church architecture.   However,  the  groined ceilings with  their  gorgeous keystones,  the pointed and sometimes traceried windows still recall the Art of the Middle-Ages.  The decorative artist by remarkable elaboration of detail then endeavoured to produce an impression of vivid colours and rich gold, recalling mediaeval colour decoration, but at the same time by the invention ofnew forms to create novel and charming effects. These we experience on looking at the interior of the celebrated Church at Freudenstadt, built by the Ducal Architect Heinrich Schickhardt, of Herrenberg, and the examples on our plate are sufficient witness of its rich and magnificent decoration.  In the detail of this splendid composition by the painter Jakob Zuberlein we observe a capricious and rather wild imagination, as is met with, to a still greater extent  in WendelDietterleins designs (Fig. 9),  but when we  see  how  agreeable  and harmonious is the impression produced by the rich colouring of the decoration and details, we cannot but pay high respect to this period of Art, the more so as at that time the aim in the decoration of Protestant churches was to break with the old traditions, and to create new forms on entirely rational principles — an experiment which was attended wi.t,h marked success in the Church at Freudenstadt.

Fig. 1—8.  Portions of painted frescoes in the Church at-Freudenstadt.
9.   Door-Panel by Wendel-Dietterlein, painter at Strassburg 1598.   From his work "Architectura".