Letter E c. 16th century

Editor: Here we have an anonymous piece titled "Letter E," housed here at Harvard. The dense, almost chaotic composition is striking. What can you tell me about the context of its creation? Curator: Consider the probable means of production: likely a woodcut, reproduced en masse. This wasn't fine art in the traditional sense, but rather a functional object born from the necessity of communication. Where was it printed? Who consumed it? How did its materiality affect its meaning? Editor: So, its value isn't necessarily in its artistry, but in its role in society? Curator: Precisely. Its value lies in the labor and materials that brought it into existence, and the societal impact of accessible typography. Editor: I hadn’t considered the work involved in making something we now take for granted. Curator: Seeing art through the lens of production changes everything, doesn't it?