1523
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Letter L is a 1523 ink by Hans Lützelburger, a Renaissance work, depicting Letter, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows a capital L in a Gothic font. The L’s thick lines curve into vines with tiny leaves and berries. The letter itself has a small face hidden in its curves. This isn’t just decoration. The face looks like it’s peeking out from the letter, almost a private joke. Woodcut prints like this were cheap to make and easy to share, so artists used tricks to make them stand out. Want to see more like it? Look up woodcut.
Hans Lützelburger (died June 1526), also known as Hans Franck, was a German blockcutter ("formschneider") for woodcuts, regarded as one of the finest of his day.
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