Allegory of the Effects of Wine

German ornament design grew more crowded after 1550, a trend attributed to Matthias Zündt. His book Kraterographie (1551) introduced goldsmith patterns so dense that few could be executed literally. This etching shows a similar tendency. Amid foliage and animals Zündt inserted scenes on the effects of wine--good and bad. At right are Christ at the Wedding at Cana, where he turned water into wine, and the Samaritan using wine to help cleanse a victim's wound. At left are Ham revealing the drunkenness of his father, Noah, and Lot being seduced by his devious daughters. In the middle scene, drink leads a peasant gathering into anarchy.