Letter A c. 16th century

Curator: This is a woodcut print titled "Letter A," an anonymous piece held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's strikingly dense. The visual weight of the black ink nearly overwhelms the small paper square. Curator: Observe how the artist has utilized the negative space around the letterform to create depth and dynamism through contrasting light and shadow. Editor: The craftsmanship! Think of the tools, the steady hand required to carve these intricate, symbolic figures into the wood block. Each line tells a story of labor. Curator: Indeed, there is a deliberate formalism at play here— a calculated arrangement of shapes and figures to draw the eye. Editor: Considering the materiality—the wood, the ink— brings a certain tangibility to the process of production. Curator: Yes, it is an excellent encapsulation of form and function. Editor: I'm left pondering the many hands that touched this before it ended up here.