Letter Q c. 16th century

Editor: This initial, "Letter Q," by an anonymous artist, has such strange figures entwined within it. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Consider the social function of this image: a decorative initial. Its purpose is to signal the beginning of something important. The grotesque figures, popular in the Renaissance, subvert that expectation, injecting humor and perhaps even a touch of the subversive. Editor: So, its role as decoration allows for a playful disruption of expectations? Curator: Precisely! It highlights how art can simultaneously uphold and challenge social norms, even within something as seemingly simple as a letter. Editor: That’s a fascinating point. I’ll definitely look at illuminated letters differently now.