Letter D c. 16th century

Curator: This image from the Harvard Art Museums is titled "Letter D" and was created by an anonymous artist. What's your immediate take? Editor: It's stark, almost brutal. The figure within the letter looks like he's trying to wrangle a symphony from that little stringed instrument. Curator: The letter itself is populated by grotesque figures, contrasting with the haloed figure at its center, perhaps alluding to the duality of good and evil that was so common in medieval art. Editor: Or maybe it's just a funky alphabet. I'm kind of digging the cross-hatching; makes me want to grab my own sketchbook. Curator: Consider how the letter functions as both form and content. The initial D becomes a symbolic framework for exploring themes of faith, morality, and the grotesque. Editor: All that in one letter? I like to think that someone just had a wild imagination and a craving for detail. Curator: Whether functional or deeply symbolic, it’s a compelling image. Editor: Totally, it’s a great little slice of organized chaos.