Initial T c. 15th century

Curator: Look at this woodcut, "Initial T," created by an anonymous artist and held at the Harvard Art Museums. The image depicts a bold letter "T" blossoming with stylized flowers and leaves. Editor: It’s stark, isn't it? The black ink against the off-white paper gives it a powerful graphic quality, a bit like a medieval stencil. Curator: Indeed. Consider the "T" itself. Beyond being a mere letter, it represents beginnings, a fresh start, and potentially theological themes depending on the text it introduces. Editor: I'm drawn to the way the artist uses the wood itself. The grain probably influenced the texture of the print, adding an unplanned, organic element. I wonder about the labor involved in such detail. Curator: The flora intertwined around the letter, they speak to growth, knowledge, and perhaps even paradise, ideas central to many illuminated texts. Editor: Seeing the texture up close makes me consider the material reality of knowledge production at this time. It’s not just about ideas, but also about wood, ink, and the hands that crafted it. Curator: It’s fascinating how a single letter encapsulates such layers of meaning and making. Editor: A reminder that even the smallest image has a rich story to tell about the world it came from.