The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.

In heraldry

In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets (such as a four-leaf clover). It is often shown "slipped", i.e. with an attached stalk. Heraldry is the science and art of describing coats-of-arms (also referred to as armorial bearings or simply as arms). Its origins lie in the need to distinguish participants in battles or jousts and to describe the various devices they carried or painted on their shields. ...

In architecture/symbolism

A quatrefoil in Chiswick, England

A quatrefoil inside a gothic arch in Tours, France.

In architecture and traditional Christian symbolism, a quatrefoil is a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially-overlapping circles of the same diameter. Two common types of quatrefoil are shown in the first two images below (click on the images for larger illustrations, and explanation of the geometry involved): Image File history File linksMetadata Quatrefoil. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Quatrefoil. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Quatrefoil3. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Quatrefoil3. ...

With more overlap Image File history File links Quatrefoil-Architectural. ...

With less overlap Image File history File links Quatrefoil-Architectural-alternate. ...

Combined with square Image File history File links Quatrefoil-Architectural-Square. ...

The quatrefoil enjoyed its peak popularity during the Gothic Revival and Renaissance, but can still be seen on countless churches and cathedrals today. It is most commonly found as tracery, mainly in Gothic architecture, where a quatrefoil can often be seen at the top of a Gothic arch, sometimes with stained glass on the interior. By region Italian Renaissance Spanish Renaissance Northern Renaissance French Renaissance German Renaissance English Renaissance The Renaissance, also known as Il Rinascimento (in Italian), was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ... Tracery is implementation of net-like decorations in a building used especially in Gothic architecture. ... See also Gothic art. ... Strictly speaking, stained glass is glass that has been painted with silver stain and then fired. ...

In art, the quatrefoil is a type of decorative framework (mainly used in engraving), consisting of an architectural quatrefoil combined with a square (just as the trefoil is often combined with an equilateral triangle), as seen in the image on the right above. Among the most famous works of art employing the quatrefoil are "The Sacrifice of Isaac" by Lorenzo Ghiberti in 1403, "The Sacrifice of Isaac" by Brunelleschi in 1403, and "Head of an Angel" by Piero della Francesca. Architecture Architectural Trefoil (also a Christian symbol) Trefoil (from Latin trifolium, three-leaved plant, French trèfle, German Dreiblatt and Dreiblattbogen) is a term in Gothic architecture given to the ornamental foliation or cusping introduced in the heads of window-lights, tracery, panellings, etc. ... An angel prevents Abraham from sacrificing Isaac in this illumation from a 14th century Icelandic manuscript. ... Lorenzo Ghiberti on Gates of Paradise, Baptisterio, Florence self portrait Lorenzo Ghiberti (Florence, 1378 - Florence, December 1, 1455) was an Italian artist of the early Renaissance best known for works in sculpture and metalworking. ... Filippo Brunelleschi, 1377 - 1446, was the first great Florentine architect of the Italian Renaissance. ... The Baptism of Christ, 1442 (National Gallery, London) Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Piero della Francesca Piero della Francesca was an Italian artist of the Early Renaissance. ...

Military

The word quatrefoil can also refer to a four-pointed decoration on the top of a warrant or commissioned Marine officer's dress and service caps. Tradition tells that the design was first used on sailing ships so that Marine sharpshooters in the rigging did not shoot their own officers on the deck.

External links

• Pictures of Ghiberti's and Brunelleschi's quatrefoils

References

The Artist Blacksmith, Volume 5, Number 4. www.Artist-Blacksmith.org.