Letter pi c. 16th century

Curator: Holbein the Younger’s woodcut, titled "Letter pi," strikes me as whimsically menacing. It's an odd, captivating mix. Editor: It’s part of a series of alphabet initials, a commission likely intended to elevate the printed word during a time of growing literacy and humanist ideals. Curator: The little imp perched in the letter seems to be plotting something, and is that a dragon lurking behind him? There's a mischievous energy. Editor: The use of such imagery in what would otherwise be a purely functional, decorative element speaks to the period’s embrace of classical allegory. Curator: I love that the rigid form of the letter becomes a stage for these fantastical figures. It feels like an invitation to play with language, to see letters as more than just symbols. Editor: It’s a clever intersection of art, education, and social aspiration, meant to signal refinement. Curator: Well, it certainly ignites the imagination! Editor: Indeed, Holbein turns the mundane into something memorable.