Letter P 15th-16th century

Curator: This is an initial "P," a woodcut print, part of a larger alphabet series. Editor: The winged cherubs give a playful, yet oddly violent, feel to this letter "P." It is like innocence wrestling with something dark. Curator: The materiality of the print—the woodcut—would have allowed for mass production; these decorated letters were likely accessible to a wide readership, not just an elite. Editor: Yes, and that makes the symbolic weight interesting. The cherubs are clearly religious iconography repurposed. I wonder what meaning readers at the time would give to the "P" being supported by, or even fighting with, those figures. Curator: Perhaps the meaning comes from the means - these prints show that visual style and accessibility were possible together. The symbolic power is multiplied by the accessibility that printmaking offers to many people. Editor: That combination makes for a powerful cultural object.