Letter L c. 16th century

Editor: This is "Letter L", an anonymous work at the Harvard Art Museums. It looks like an illustration, maybe a woodcut. I’m struck by the contrast between the bold letter and the intricate scene within. What story do you think this little piece is trying to tell? Curator: Well, "Letter L," that's just a doorway, isn't it? Beyond it, I see a world brimming with tiny details – figures, maybe some angels floating above. The artist, whoever they were, used the initial to pull us into a different realm, like tumbling down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland. The L might stand for "listen," or "look closer." Editor: I like that, a doorway! I never thought about it that way, but it does make the image a bit more inviting! Curator: Absolutely! And perhaps it invites us to invent our own narratives. What do *you* hear when you look at it? Editor: Hmmm, that it is a window to different dimension of thinking. Thanks for your perspective!