Decorated Roman alphabet 1485 - 1499

This tiny, anonymous print is a decorated Roman alphabet letter, made with woodcut on paper. The material of this work – humble paper – is crucial. Though we don't know the exact date, the print likely comes from the 15th or 16th century, when the ability to reproduce images and text mechanically, using movable type, transformed European culture. Look closely and you can see the texture of the wood in the lines. Woodcut is a relief process. The artist carves away the background, leaving the lines that will print in black. It’s a laborious process, but one that allows for multiple impressions to be made quickly and cheaply. This particular initial shows a drinking scene within the letter ‘B.’ Perhaps it was intended for use in a book about Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. The print bears witness to a key moment in the history of craft and capitalism, when hand skills met the demands of a rapidly expanding market for the printed word.