Letter E 1630

Peter Aubry created this print of the letter E using engraving techniques sometime in the 17th century. This was a period defined by the religious and political upheaval of the Thirty Years' War, deeply impacting artists like Aubry, who navigated a fractured Europe. This decorative initial is not just an aesthetic flourish but a reflection of the complex social fabric of the time. The grotesque masks, with their exaggerated features, contrast against the refined letterform. They echo the period's fascination with physiognomy, the belief that one could judge character by outward appearance, a concept laden with biases regarding class, race, and gender. Notice how the ornate swirls and monstrous faces create a tension, perhaps mirroring the era's anxieties and societal pressures. The print invites us to consider the intersection of beauty and the grotesque, of societal expectation and individual expression. In this letter E, Aubry captures a world in flux, wrestling with identity and representation.