Letter M c. 16th century

Curator: Here we have an initial, "Letter M," by an anonymous artist, held in the collection of the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Mmm, it’s got this lovely, slightly awkward charm, like a medieval woodcut trying to be a Renaissance masterpiece. Curator: Exactly! Think about the materiality. It's a testament to the labor involved in early printmaking—the carving of the block, the pressure applied to the paper. Editor: I see a pilgrim, maybe? Lost in thought, framed by this monumental M. The figure kind of softens the harsh geometry. It's a meditation, maybe on journeys, on beginnings, on the letter M itself? Curator: Precisely, the letter itself serves as both architecture and constraint. It embodies function and form, dictating the narrative within. Editor: I suppose that seeing it this way does invite me to think about the letter as more than just a mark! Curator: Indeed, reflecting on the initial opens the door to understanding broader artistic production and consumption of its time. Editor: True, and for me, it unlocks something unexpected, a quiet, almost whimsical narrative.