Initial M c. 16th century

Editor: This is "Initial M," an anonymous woodcut print at the Harvard Art Museums. The lines are so bold. What can you tell me about it? Curator: I notice the texture. This wasn't etched with acid, but carved. Consider the labor involved: the skill, the time. This was likely not considered fine art, but part of a larger process, perhaps book illustration. Editor: So, it's more about the function than the artist's expression? Curator: Precisely. It asks us to question art’s traditional boundaries. What happens to the meaning when the focus shifts from an individual's genius to the means of production and circulation? Editor: I never thought about the labor involved in making prints like this. Thanks! Curator: It offers a valuable perspective on art history, doesn’t it?