Initial T c. 16th century

Curator: At first glance, this Initial T feels like a tiny, fantastical stage. Editor: Exactly. This woodcut, simply titled "Initial T," presents a glimpse into the labor and artistry involved in early printing. Look at the density of the lines! Curator: The way the putti and their steeds are interwoven with the letterform... it's almost dizzying. What do you make of the horses? They seem more like sea creatures. Editor: Note the texture achieved through the wood carving, animating not just the figures, but the very letter itself. Each line is a deliberate act of labor. Curator: It makes me think of illuminated manuscripts, of course, but with a touch of playful darkness. Editor: Indeed. The piece invites reflection on the relationship between mass production and individual craftsmanship. Curator: Yes, and how something so small can contain such boundless imagination! Editor: Precisely, revealing a world of artisanal skill embedded in the earliest forms of mass communication.