Ornamental Alphabet
1485
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1485
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This image shows a grid of decorative letters. Each letter is wrapped in swirls, curls, and tiny shapes that turn plain text into something fancy. The lines are bold and dark, standing out against a light, paper-like background. The letters aren’t just letters—they’re like tiny sculptures, with extra flourishes like crowns or vines. This style was meant to make writing look grand, almost like jewelry for the page. If you like this, look up technique: woodcut to see how artists carved these designs into wood.
![Studies for Six Figures (sheet from a model book) [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/4837429e0755bc3f/thumb.webp)
