Initial E c. 16th century

Editor: Here we have "Initial E," by an anonymous artist, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s a small, square print in black and white, with what looks like a stylized palm tree inside an oval. It feels almost like a tiny, secret symbol. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, yes, I'm drawn to its stark simplicity, that high-contrast world! It reminds me of a medieval crest, maybe signaling a family's connection to exotic lands. Or is it just a playful doodle, a moment of graphic meditation? Perhaps that's its charm, the open question it poses. What do you think? Editor: I love that idea, a graphic meditation! I hadn't considered that simplicity could be so intentional. Curator: Exactly! It's the beauty of reduction, isn't it? Stripping away the unnecessary to reveal the essential, like poetry in a tiny, inky square.