Letter D c. 16th century

Curator: What strikes me immediately is the incredible detail for something so small. It's an anonymous work titled "Letter D" currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Yes, it's intricate, almost obsessive! I wonder about the labor involved in producing this. The dense, swirling patterns suggest it might be a woodcut. Curator: Exactly. It’s fascinating to consider how this print functions within the history of early typography and book production. Editor: Absolutely! Thinking about who made it, where it was made, and its role in the distribution of knowledge… it opens up a whole world. Curator: It makes me want to research printing guilds and the socio-economic conditions that shaped the creation and dissemination of this seemingly simple initial. Editor: For me, it's a reminder that even the smallest artistic gestures can reveal a rich tapestry of human endeavor.