Initial R c. 16th century

Editor: Here we have the “Initial R,” an intriguing piece by an anonymous artist, housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s got this fantastical, almost dreamlike quality. What’s your take? Curator: Oh, it's like stumbling into a secret garden shaped like a letter! I imagine the artist, maybe a monk, playfully merging the sacred with the whimsical. Do you see the little dragon curled at the bottom? It's as if even the alphabet has its own mythology. Editor: That's a great point! I hadn't noticed the dragon before. It definitely changes how I perceive the piece. Curator: Right? It reminds me that even the most formal things can have a touch of delightful madness. Editor: I'll never look at a letter the same way again!