Initial W c. 16th century

Editor: So here we have an initial, "Initial W," by an anonymous artist, residing in the Harvard Art Museums. It's a small piece, but the contrast between the black and white really grabs your attention, doesn’t it? What's your take on it? Curator: It whispers of illuminated manuscripts, those painstaking creations where every letter was a tiny universe. I imagine a monk hunched over parchment, a quill dancing to the rhythm of scripture. The "W" itself is almost secondary to the swirling flora, don't you think? It's as if the letter sprouted from the page, a little world taking root. What do you make of the overall effect? Editor: I guess it's more decorative, like art nouveau, a celebration of form. Thanks, I learned a lot about illuminated manuscripts. Curator: Indeed! We both did.