Initial Q with a Procession of Children c. 1430s

Zanobi Strozzi crafted this miniature, "Initial Q with a Procession of Children," using tempera, paint, gold, and ink on parchment. The composition arranges a group of children in a landscape within the curvature of the letter "Q," immediately drawing our eyes to the interplay between the natural scene and the structured form of the initial. Note how the gold leaf not only provides a radiant backdrop but also flattens the space, typical of early Renaissance art. The artist uses a semiotic system of color, where the blues and golds denote sanctity and importance, commonly found in religious iconography of the period. The placement of the children, seemingly emerging from a mountainous background, invites interpretation. Are they symbols of innocence, or perhaps a representation of a biblical narrative? It's this tension between the decorative function of the initial and the narrative potential of the scene that encourages ongoing interpretation. The formal qualities of the artwork function aesthetically and as part of a larger cultural discourse.