Letter Q met kind hangend aan stok gedragen door twee kinderen 1522 - 1526

Editor: This small, detailed print by Hans Holbein the Younger, made with ink on paper sometime between 1522 and 1526, depicts the letter Q. It looks like a miniature scene of kids helping a toddler learn how to swing? What am I missing here? Curator: Missing? Never! You are seeing with your own fresh eyes and it's absolutely delightful. To me, Holbein's letter Q, rendered with such playful exuberance, reminds us that even the most functional elements of language, like letters, can be infused with narrative and humanity. It's Northern Renaissance art playing dress-up, isn't it? What do you make of that visual interplay? Editor: Dress up! That makes so much sense, considering this artist was German, and how detailed all these small lines are! So do you mean he is turning this "Q" into almost another world, not just a letter? Curator: Precisely! See how the children carry the infant hanging onto the stroke of the Q. Look how the artist balances practicality with this surreal scenario. This, for me, speaks to a Renaissance sensibility – a re-discovery of the self through allegorical representation, rendered through mastery and, let's not forget, a healthy dose of whimsy. The ordinary elevated. The functional made fantastic. What do you feel as you look at this? Editor: The intricacy makes it seem almost precious. The composition now makes me think about the value of language. So, language is made precious and the building block, the letter Q is almost revered, is that it? I wonder if he did the other letters? Curator: He did! Each one is an amazing vignette. Now, I wonder, what new letter might your art take? Editor: I never considered letters as artworks, let alone this level of depth. I think I will now.