Initial letter T with putto
ca. 1538
Medium
Woodcut
Dimensions
Sheet: 1 7/8 × 1 7/8 in. (4.8 × 4.8 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Anne and Carl Stern Gift, 1959
Accession Number
59.507.3(16)
Art Historical Context
This charming woodcut by Heinrich Vogtherr the Elder, created around 1538, captures the Renaissance fascination with ornamental initials that brought elegance and visual interest to early printed books. Measuring just under two inches square, the letter “T” is enlivened by a lively putto—a winged, childlike figure drawn from classical antiquity—whose playful pose integrates seamlessly with the letter’s curves. Such designs were essential decorative elements in sixteenth-century publications, transforming functional typography into miniature works of art. Vogtherr, a German artist and printmak...