Initial C from Kerver's Alphabet c. 16th century

Curator: Here we have Initial C from Kerver's Alphabet, an anonymous print held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's so visually dense! The figure practically bursts from the letterform. Curator: Indeed. The initial contains a skeleton or "death knight," common imagery during the medieval era, meant to remind viewers of their mortality. Editor: I see how the artist used the stippling to fill in space and create a sense of texture, but it makes the image feel claustrophobic. Curator: The visual weight of death was a constant presence. This memento mori tradition evolved from periods of war and plague. Editor: I can understand that, yet the composition feels unresolved. Curator: Perhaps, but the image certainly provides a vivid snapshot of late medieval anxieties. Editor: It does reveal a stark, visually arresting meditation on symbolism, technique, and mortality.