Artwork
Letter A
Letter A is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Hans Lützelburger. It dates from 1523 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1523, the woodcut *Letter A* is a black‑and‑white print that presents two solemn, robed figures flanking a prominently rendered capital A. The letter is set within a framed opening, complete with curtains, while one figure holds a scroll and the other rests a hand on a book, establishing a balanced, symmetrical composition.
Subject & Meaning
The image functions as an allegorical illustration, using the letter as a visual focal point for teaching or moral instruction. The paired figures, each associated with written material—a scroll and a book—suggest the transmission of knowledge, with the letter itself serving as a symbolic gateway to learning.
Technique & Style
The work exemplifies the precision of early 16th‑century German woodcut. Hans Lützelburger, a specialist cutter, executed the design with fine line work that renders the drapery, lettering, and architectural framing with clarity. The print’s stark contrast and careful carving highlight the medium’s capacity for detailed, didactic imagery.
History & Provenance
Hans Lützelburger, active in Augsburg from about 1516, produced the cut while working under the publisher Jost de Negker, who often placed his signature on the reverse of the blocks. Lützelburger is better known for his collaboration on Hans Holbein the Younger’s *Dance of Death* series, a project that remained unfinished at the cutter’s death in 1526.
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
