Hughes of the Door, Title-Page 1548

Curator: This is the title page from "Hughes of the Door," created by an anonymous artist. The print is part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: It looks so… stern. Imposing! The frame dominates, almost crushing the text it’s supposed to showcase. Curator: The heavy ornamentation is typical of title pages from that era. Notice the figures flanking the text, the cherubs at the top, and the small battle scenes at the bottom. Editor: All meticulously rendered. You can feel the engraver's precision in every tiny line. The density of detail is quite impressive, especially the contrast between the dark ink and the pale paper. Curator: It's a powerful example of how design communicated status and importance, even on something as "simple" as a book's title page. Editor: It makes me wonder what other secrets this page holds, beyond its literal text. A small world in itself.