Letter "H" Possibly 1953

Curator: This compelling woodcut print, conceivably dating to 1953, is entitled "Letter H" by Hans Marinus van Dokkum. What strikes you first? Editor: Bold. Utterly bold. The figure is dominated by confident lines—crisp, almost aggressively contrasted against the ground. It exudes an archaic grandeur. Curator: It is figuration via typography. Observe how the letter "H" has been ingeniously anthropomorphized—fashioned into a stylized rooster. Editor: Of course! The "H" forms the very structure of the rooster—legs, body, crest... Even the tail feathers are evoked by the letter’s embellishments. The composition becomes something far beyond a mere initial. What do you make of its symbolism? Curator: The rooster has myriad associations across cultures—virility, vigilance, pride, and of course, dawn. The icon speaks to a cyclical renewal; there is inherent promise embedded in this single letter. Editor: And in the heraldic tradition, roosters signify courage and watchfulness. Consider the implications of choosing the "H", and the meanings embedded into that single sign. It's an assertive initial. Curator: The beauty resides within the formal tensions, too. The severe geometry of the "H" juxtaposed with the fluid, organic curves of the bird…it creates visual dynamism. The monochrome amplifies the intensity, creating clarity, purpose... Editor: Agreed. The artist harnessed a rich trove of meaning with remarkable economy, didn't they? In the confluence of type, animal, and symbolic charge—Van Dokkum evokes both history and enduring values within a single image. Curator: Indeed, this "Letter H" remains potent—an affirmation not just of form, but of the enduring symbolic potential housed within the everyday.