Letters E and F 15th-16th century

Curator: Here we see “Letters E and F,” by an anonymous artist. It’s part of the collection at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Wow, they're wild. Looks like the letters escaped from a medieval illuminated manuscript and decided to get all tangled up. Curator: The design shows the influence of illuminated letters; notice how the letterforms incorporate foliage, perhaps indicating growth, rebirth, and the natural world's influence on language itself. Editor: Or maybe, just maybe, someone was having a really elaborate doodle session. But I dig the thought that they're not just letters; they're little ecosystems! Curator: These letters embody a moment when the spiritual and the everyday intertwine in visual culture. Editor: Hmm, I'd say they show us how beauty hides in the mundane, even in something as simple as an alphabet. Curator: Precisely. A reminder that symbols carry echoes of our ancestors' dreams and daily lives. Editor: A beautiful notion that reminds us there is always more than meets the eye.