1627
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
New ABC Booklet: R is a 1627 by Lucas Kilian, a Baroque work, depicting Letter, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This print shows a blocky, black letter "R" next to a small bird perched on a branch. The bird holds a book in its beak, as if delivering it. Kilian made these playful prints in the 1620s. They mix letters and tiny pictures, almost like early memes. The bird and book hint at learning or news. Look up chiaroscuro next—it’s when artists use strong light and dark to make shapes pop.
Lucas Kilian (Lucas Kilianus Augustanus; 1579–1637) was a German engraver and etcher from the Kilian family of engravers in Augsburg.
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