Reproducing "Schotter" by Georg Nees with pycairo

schotter.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

# Nicolas Seriot, 2018-11-04
# According to "Schotter" by Georg Nees
# https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O221321/schotter-print-nees-georg/
# Idea: randomness for x, y and rotation does increase at each row
# Sample output: http://seriot.ch/visualization/schotter_pycairo.png

import cairo
import random

COLS = 12
ROWS = 24
MARGIN = 80
WIDTH = 60

CANVAS_WIDTH = COLS * WIDTH + MARGIN * 2
CANVAS_HEIGHT = ROWS * WIDTH + MARGIN * 2 + 20

surface = cairo.ImageSurface(cairo.FORMAT_ARGB32, CANVAS_WIDTH, CANVAS_HEIGHT)
c = cairo.Context(surface)

c.save()
c.set_source_rgb(1,1,1)
c.paint()
c.restore()

c.set_line_width(1)

for col in xrange(COLS):
    for row in xrange(ROWS):
        origin_x = MARGIN + col * WIDTH
        origin_y = MARGIN + row * WIDTH
        translate_x = origin_x + random.uniform(-0.5, 0.5) * row * 5
        translate_y = origin_y + random.uniform(-0.5, 0.5) * row * 5
        radians = random.uniform(-0.5, 0.5) * row / 10.0

        c.save()
        c.translate(translate_x, translate_y)
        c.rotate(radians)
        c.rectangle(0, 0, WIDTH, WIDTH)
        c.stroke()
        c.restore()

surface.write_to_png("schotter.png")