Letter V c. 16th century

Editor: This anonymous print, simply titled "Letter V," is an intriguing woodcut. It feels so densely packed with imagery. What stories do you think this "V" tries to tell? Curator: The letter becomes a stage. The figures, almost grotesque, seem to enact a drama. Notice how the letterform itself isn't just a boundary but is integrated. It is a container of meaning. The grotesque is always about testing boundaries. Editor: I see that. They are literally breaking the letter apart. Does that suggest any cultural anxieties around language or order? Curator: Precisely! Consider the period. The fixed letter, the printed word, gains power. This image challenges that authority, revealing anxieties about control and chaos, or perhaps the vivacity that bubbles beneath the surface of order. It makes me wonder: is it an act of rebellion or simply a playful exploration? Editor: So much to unpack in one little letter! I’ll never look at typography the same way again. Curator: Indeed. Symbols are never static. They are always alive with interpretation.