Letter A en twee kinderen

This small-scale print features a large Roman capital letter 'T' set against a densely hatched background. Within the negative space of the character, two small figures are engaged in a scene of corporal punishment; one child is bent over while the other raises a bundle of twigs. Such initials were used to ornament the start of chapters in early modern printed books.

Matthäus Merian was the preeminent illustrator for the De Bry publishing house, which produced the foundational visual works of the Rosicrucian and alchemical movements. While this is a decorative alphabet piece, it represents the technical style and workshop output that visualized the complex cosmic diagrams of Robert Fludd and the alchemical emblems of Michael Maier.