Capital C c. 1527

Editor: This diminutive woodcut, "Capital C", is an initial, and it feels so self-contained and dense. How should we interpret the botanical imagery and what it might have meant to its original audience? Curator: Note the stylized acanthus leaves; they're a classical motif, suggesting learning and refinement. Consider how this single letter might have once introduced sacred or secular texts. It's a portal, isn't it? Editor: A portal? I hadn't thought of it that way, but I see how the letter becomes a gateway to knowledge. Curator: Indeed. And how the floral details, echoing across cultures, connect us to generations past. It's all embedded memory. Editor: The density of symbols really speaks to the power that even a single letter can hold. Thanks for showing me the cultural through-line.