Head- or Tail-piece c. 16th century

Curator: This lovely little block print, titled "Head- or Tail-piece," comes to us anonymously from the Harvard Art Museums. It’s a basket overflowing with flowers and fruits. Editor: It feels quite austere, doesn't it? Stark black lines on this aged paper. A humble, almost Puritan aesthetic. Curator: Perhaps, but there’s also a sense of abundance, of nature’s bounty. Look at the variety of blooms, the plump fruits tumbling from the woven basket. Editor: It speaks of early colonial life, where simplicity and resourcefulness were virtues, and nature was both a provider and a force to be reckoned with. And the fact that the artist is unknown reinforces this idea. Curator: I wonder who made it? A woman, perhaps, decorating a family bible? Or a tradesman, adding a flourish to a broadside? Editor: It’s a democratic aesthetic. Not grand or showy, but intimate and useful. It makes me consider how this image might have circulated and whose lives it might have touched. Curator: Yes, and those humble origins give it a special kind of beauty, don't you think? Editor: Absolutely, a beauty born of necessity and quiet contemplation.