Initial A c. 16th century

Curator: This woodcut, simply titled "Initial A," part of the Harvard Art Museums collection, really strikes me with its bold contrast. It feels sturdy. Editor: Its construction does highlight the labor involved in early printmaking. The textures of the wood are still evident. You can see the cuts made to create the letter and surrounding foliage. Curator: Absolutely, and considering the context of its probable use – as part of a larger text – it signifies the power of dissemination of information. The letterform becomes monumental. Editor: Right, the scale is fascinating. Its presence in a book is one thing, but to isolate it, we see its own constructed reality, its material essence, beyond simple functionality. Curator: Indeed. The politics of literacy, of accessible texts, are all wrapped up in a seemingly simple image. Editor: Seeing it this way makes you appreciate how knowledge, even letter by letter, has been handled and manufactured. Curator: A single letter, yet a world of history and craft contained within. Editor: Exactly, and it gives new respect to the tradition of craftsmanship, where even the smallest element is a conscious creation.