Letter S c. 16th century

Curator: Here we have an intriguing print titled "Letter S," an initial likely intended for a larger series, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums and created by an anonymous artist. Editor: It strikes me as both elegant and slightly unsettling. The stark contrast in the printmaking emphasizes a tension between classical motifs and something almost...carnal. Curator: The letterform is adorned with sphinxes and mythical beasts, reflecting an era grappling with power, knowledge, and the feminine divine. How might this initial play into constructions of gender and authority? Editor: And consider the material itself – the labor-intensive process of engraving, each line carefully etched to create this elaborate design. It speaks to a specific form of skilled craft. Curator: Absolutely. Its existence complicates notions of authorship, craftsmanship, and the social contexts in which this image would have circulated. Editor: Seeing it this way gives me a fresh appreciation for not just what it represents, but how it was brought into existence. Curator: Precisely, and how its existence continues to spark these connections.