Letter Z 15th-16th century

Editor: Here we have an anonymous woodcut print, "Letter Z", from the Harvard Art Museums. It depicts two cherubic figures struggling with the letter itself. What do you see in this piece, beyond the immediately visible? Curator: Consider the cherubs. How does their portrayal, almost toiling with the letter, challenge the traditional, often sanitized, view of childhood innocence? Are they complicit in a system represented by this very letter? Editor: That's a great point. I hadn't considered the work aspect of the cherubs. Curator: And think about how the "Z" itself might stand in for larger systems of power, perhaps even the alphabet as a tool for categorization and control. How does this impact your understanding? Editor: Wow, I never thought of it that way. It gives a whole new layer to something seemingly simple. Thanks! Curator: Absolutely. It's about questioning the accepted narratives.