Letter A 1755 - 1768

Clément Pierre Marillier created this drawing called “Letter A” in the 18th century. Consider the culture of heraldry and the aristocracy that shaped Marillier’s world. The letter is adorned with wheat and flowers, topped with what appears to be a crown, symbolizing nobility, prosperity, and perhaps even divine right. We might consider the relationship between symbols of power and the natural world. Wheat, a staple crop, grounds the image in the material realities of agriculture and sustenance, while the flowers add a layer of beauty and delicacy. Are these elements in contradiction? Or is Marillier suggesting how power is dependent on the resources of the land and the aesthetics cultivated by those in power? The drawing would have been made during a time of social stratification, where access to resources and symbols of status were closely guarded. It is a reminder of the complex ways in which identity, privilege, and representation intertwine in the visual arts.